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The UFC 252 co-main event between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera ended in a rather bizarre manner when the former was stopped via a TKO from 'Chito' in the closing stages of Round #1.
Prior to the conclusion of the fight, O'Malley had tweaked his foot, which led to Vera unloading on him with a flurry of brutal elbow shots. With just 20 seconds remaining in the fight, the ref quickly jumped in and called-off the bout in favor of 'Chito' Vera.
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In the aftermath of his gruesome loss, Sean O'Malley was carried off on a stretcher. However, according to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, 'Sugar' doesn't have any fractures on his ankle or lower leg.
According to sources close to Sean O'Malley, the X-ray report on his ankle came back okay and there are no signs of fracture. However, O'Malley does need an MRI once the swelling goes down, to look for the ligament and tendon tears.
The report also claimed that O'Malley's knee would also be scanned, but the MRI cannot take place until the swelling subsides. As of now, though, a timetable for Sean O'Malley's return is unknown.
Here is the report on Sean O'Malley from Ariel Helwani:
Options for Sean O'Malley after his return
The UFC's Bantamweight Division is absolutely stacked with some top contenders. As for Sean O'Malley, though, a rematch against Marlon Vera could very well be on the cards or the UFC could entirely book him in a fight against someone else from the Bantamweight Division.
As of now, it remains to be seen when O'Malley will be fit to fight again and we wish him the very best while he recovers from his leg injury. We will keep you updated with this further developing story regarding Sean O'Malley's injury.
