UFC champ Sean O'Malley admits he's surprised Marlon Vera rematch is happening

Although it’s what he wanted, Sean O'Malley didn’t expect to make his first title defense against Marlon Vera.

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) runs things back with Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in the UFC 299 main event March 9 at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Vera finished O’Malley by first-round TKO in August 2020 after O’Malley injured his leg courtesy of a Vera leg kick. “Chito” handed O’Malley the first and only loss of his career which “The Suga Show” thinks was a fluke.

“I’m honestly surprised that it’s happening, in a sense,” O’Malley said in an interview with Helen Yee. “I didn’t think that he would get to the title shot, and did he really deserve it after his performance over Pedro (Munhoz)? I don’t know, but I thought, ‘You know what? It’s time that I take him out.’ So here we are, and it’s very exciting.”

Although there are other contenders that are perhaps more worthy of a title shot than Vera, O’Malley sees their rematch creating the most buzz.

“I think it’s the biggest fight in the division,” O’Malley said. “I think it’s an important fight from what happened the first time. I claim that I’m undefeated and he claims that he beat me. So now March 9, we get to settle – we’ll see who was right.”

Vera never has been finished in his professional MMA career. O’Malley won’t promise a stoppage win, but is confident that he’ll put on a masterclass.

“There’s a possibility it (goes to the judges),” O’Malley said. “He’s never been submitted. He’s never been knocked out. He’s very, very durable. I just truly, truly believe that I’m on another level and that I’m going to bring a level of performance that the UFC has never even seen. I think I’m going to hit a level that people will be shocked at, and I’m going to put on a masterful, beautiful performance.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.