Sean “Sniper” O’Malley’s gearing up to settle scores with Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera in UFC 299’s main event in Miami. It’s their second dance; last time, Vera stopped him, but O’Malley’s not sweating it. He reckons an injury slowed him down before, but this time, he’s all speed.
O’Malley, the bantamweight champ, is buzzing for the rematch on March 9. Their first clash saw Vera hand O’Malley his first UFC loss. But O’Malley’s shrugged that off. “Didn’t lose sleep,” he says. He’s convinced he’s got Vera’s number speed-wise and that he was about to knock Vera out before an unlucky injury.
Since that defeat, O’Malley’s been on a tear, bagging five wins and a no contest. He even grabbed the bantamweight belt, knocking out Aljamain Sterling in just 51 seconds at UFC 292. “Getting that belt was damn near perfect,” he boasts.
Now, as the champ, O’Malley feels the heat but thrives on it. He’s been the man to beat since his Contender Series days, and he’s ready to prove it against Vera again.
Vera’s been busy too, with five wins out of seven since their last fight. But O’Malley’s not impressed, calling Vera’s recent fights “boring.” Still, he knows Vera’s had time to level up. “We’ll see,” O’Malley says, ready to show he’s the top dog at UFC 299.
