UFC bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley has made a bold prediction for 2024.
In his first title defense, O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will run things back with Marlon Vera (23-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in March. “The Suga Show” knocked out Aljamain Sterling to capture the bantamweight title at UFC 292 in August, and if he can take out the durable Vera, he expects to skyrocket into superstardom.
“I will be the biggest name in sports,” O’Malley said on “The MMA Hour.” “I go out there and knock out ‘Chito,’ get one more fight end of the year, win that, 2-0 in 2024, I believe I will be the biggest name in sports. Especially doing it in spectacular fashion, not boring like ‘Chito’ vs. Pedro (Munhoz). That was super boring.
“I can’t have performances like that. That would be embarrassing. I definitely don’t want to do that. That’s not how you become (the biggest star in sports). Aljo, that’s the toughest fight in the division. That was the No. 1 guy in the division.”
O’Malley’s lone loss in his career came to Vera in August 2020 – a setback he dubbed as a fluke after Vera kicked him in his peroneal nerve and finished him by ground-and-pound TKO.
O’Malley is confident their rematch will prove that he’s the better fighter.
“I’m going to smoke this dude,” O’Malley said. “I don’t feel like it’s personal because I feel like if this fight never happened, it wouldn’t bother me. I’ve never lost sleep over this fight. I truly am undefeated. I mean, it’s not personal. (It) could get personal. I mean, the buildup, we’ll see what gets said, what happens. But it’s business – exciting business.”
