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Marlon Vera doesn't believe in pulling off crazy antics to attract eyeballs. He prefers to draw attention with brilliant performances inside the octagon instead. Vera's former opponent, Sean O'Malley, is known for his outspoken and colorful personality, as much as he is known for his knockout artistry.
Taking a jibe at O'Malley's persona outside the cage, the Ecuadorian said he'd rather entertain people by fighting than by "acting all crazy." During a recent interaction with TMZ Sports, the 29-year-old explained why he keeps a low profile and mostly does his talking in the octagon.
Vera explained that he doesn't want to distract himself from the goal of becoming a world champion and that to achieve consistency, he must stay focused and mind his own business. When the cage door shuts behind him, that's when Vera feels he is in his true element. He said:
"It's consistency, man. If you keep going, if you work hard, you know, I can say all crazy things, I can start acting like crazy, put on a pair of sunglasses, you know, get outside with a lot of color and make you laugh but yeah, I rather make you stand up in your seat on Saturday night and [draw] applause with a hell of a performance. I feel like I can do it all but I prefer to stay focused and just mind my business. Get in there, kick somebody and keep the same energy."
Watch the interview below:
Vera and O'Malley crossed paths in the co-main event of UFC 252 back in 2020. The Ecuadorian emerged victorious via TKO in the first round. The result remains the solitary loss of Sean O'Malley's career thus far.
Marlon Vera awarded 20 percent of Rob Font's purse for upcoming fight
Marlon Vera is set to take on fellow bantamweight contender Rob Font in a crucial matchup at UFC Vegas 53 this Saturday. The winner of the main event fight is likely to find themselves in the title picture going forward. The bout, however, will now take place at a catchweight due to Font missing weight.
Font will also be fined 20 percent of his purse for the fight and that amount will be given to Vera instead.
Marlon Vera is heading into the fight off the back of impressive wins against Davey Grant and Frankie Edgar. He'll look to complete his hattrick of wins when he fights Font on April 30.
