Sean O'Malley is cautioning Marlon Vera to take a respectful approach in trying to secure a rematch, or it may not happen.
After O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) captured the bantamweight championship with a second-round TKO of Aljamain Sterling in Saturday’s UFC 292 headliner, and Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) defeated Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision earlier in the night, all signs point to a rematch between the two on the horizon.
“Chito” gave O’Malley his one and only career loss in August 2020, when he earned a first-round TKO win at UFC 252. With higher-ranked contenders such as Merab Dvalishvili and Corey Sandhagen sidelined with injuries, the timing seems right for the pair to run it back.
New champ O’Malley claims it will ultimately be his call, though. He’s not thrilled by the demeanor Vera has presented in the aftermath of UFC 292, and O’Malley said on Monday’s episode of the “TimboSugarShow” podcast that he won’t hesitate to go in another direction if Vera’s attitude doesn’t change.
“”You need to f*cking settle down, or I’ll pick Henry Cejudo,” O’Malley said. “And don’t think that I don’t have the power to f*cking pick who I want to fight right now. So you better f*cking go on Twitter, say, ‘Daddy, will you fight me?’ And I’ll f*cking think about it.”
O’Malley reiterated his desire to get back in the octagon at UFC 296 on Dec. 16. He sustained multiple injuries in the lead-up to beating Sterling but indicated he will be able to compete again in four months, so long as the situation is right.
If Vera doesn’t behave in the manner that O’Malley desires, though, he will gladly adjust his plans.
“You need to settle down acting like you call the shots right now,” O’Malley said. “I’ll go box Gervonta (Davis). I’ll fight Henry. I’ll wait for Cory. You need to chill out with your f*cking ugly ass outfits.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
