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Sean O'Malley's singular defeat in MMA came at the hands of Marlon 'Chito' Vera in 2020 at UFC 252. However, despite losing to Vera, 'Sugar' previously stated that he never saw much potential in the now fourth-ranked UFC bantamweight. Having called 'Chito' a journeyman in the past, O'Malley took the time to admit that he incorrectly assessed Vera's level of talent.
On a recent episode of the BROMALLEY podcast, 'Sugar' read a statement made by Henry Cejudo in which 'Triple C' labeled Vera as a journeyman. The comment prompted O'Malley to reflect on his own past comments towards 'Chito' and said:
"Cejudo - 'Marlon Vera's a journeyman, not good enough to beat Sandhagen.' You know what, that's not true. I used to call Chito a journeyman, but that was before he beat all those good guys. I didn't think he was gonna get as good as he did. But he's gotten good, really good. Nothing but respect for him."
Watch the video below from 5:55:
Marlon Vera has realized great success since his fight with Sean O'Malley. 'Chito' lost his next outing to MMA legend Jose Aldo at UFC Fight Night 183 but has accumulated a four-fight win streak since.
Vera defeated Davey Grant, Frankie Edgar, Rob Front, and Dominick Cruz with particularly brutal knockouts against Edgar and Cruz. His vein of form has set up a fascinating clash with Cory Sandhagen, where the pair will be in the main event of UFC Fight Night 219 in February.
Sean O'Malley will be in attendance for Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen
Depending on the outcome of the proposed matchup between UFC bantamweight champion Aljamin Sterling and Henry Cejudo, Sean O'Malley could face the winner of Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen for a UFC title sometime next year.
'Chito' and 'The Sandman' are scheduled to fight at the UFC Apex in February, and O'Malley recently stated that he will be "in the front row" for the fight. He spoke to MMA journalist The Schmo about the upcoming matchup and said:
"Cory's good, very skilled. I could see him cutting Chito up. It really is a coin flip for me, I don't know. But I do know that I will be front row, watching and I'm excited."
Watch the interview below from 3:45:
