Sean O’Malley will make his third walk to the octagon in 2020. The young fighter seems eager to make up for lost time following a suspension, and has featured on alternate PPVs since UFC 248. He is striking to look at and backs his talk in the cage. However, he isn’t overconfident and has constantly maintained that his focus is solely on his opponent, Marlon Vera.
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‘Sugar’ believes Vera is a top-ten caliber opponent as he had a five-fight win streak. The fourteenth-ranked bantamweight contender feels that ‘Chito’ should have had a six-fight win streak as he got robbed at Fight Night: Overeem vs Harris.
In a UFC fans Q&A, O’Malley said, “Yeah Chito is top ten, he won that last fight. If he won that last fight, where would he be in the rankings. I think he would be, may number ten. That would be six in a row for him. If you go watch that fight, he won that fight. You know how the judges are, it’s ridiculous.”
Sean O’Malley is unsure about what’s next for him
‘Sugar’ doesn’t have a high opinion of the UFC judging. This could be the reason he opts to take matters into his own hands and ensure that he claims a win before the time limit.
The unbeaten fighter has claimed nine finishes and three decision wins in his career. He knows a win will see him rise up the rankings and face seasoned opponents higher up the ladder.
He said, “So I think he’s in the top ten, in my eyes, this is a top ten opponent and after him yeah we’ll see who’s next. I know there’s fights getting booked right now. I thought I’d get that Cody fight but he did the smart thing, dipped and we’ll see what’s next.”
Read: Sean O’Malley Says “It’s Embarrassing” that Fighters are Getting Suspended for Drug Tests
O’Malley has his sights firmly set on ‘Chito’ who has never lost by knockout or submission in his fifteen fight professional career. The Ecuadorian can absorb punches and knows how to last the distance.
Moreover, the five-fight win streak Vera was on saw him win all his fights with finishes. This means he too will go for it against the offensive Sean O’Malley as he attempts to plot his ascent among the bantamweight elite.
However, O’Malley’s comments on the judging are interesting. What do you make his views ahead of his co-main event fight at UFC 252 where the fight could go the distance?
