Sean O’Malley has not yet established himself as the hegemon of this division and has to prove his qualities against a fighter who once beat him. Here is our O’Malley vs Vera prediction.
O’Malley vs Vera Prediction: A Historical Rematch
Sean O’Malley Preview
Sean “Sugar” O’Malley, the current UFC Bantamweight Champion, is known for his flamboyant fighting style and unconventional behavior both in and out of the Octagon. His striking technique, mobility, and ability to land accurate strikes from a variety of angles make him a dangerous opponent for any fighter. O’Malley’s main strength is his stance and ability to control distance, allowing him to attack effectively while minimizing risks to himself.
However, we should not forget about the last meeting with Vera, during which Sean received an ankle injury, which significantly affected the outcome of the fight. He came back stronger and his path to the championship was one that will forever be remembered. O’Malley beat Almeida, Moutinho, Paiva, and two champions – Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling.
Ready to defend the Bantamweight Title 🏆@SugaSeanMMA is on weight at 135lbs
There is no point in comparing their 1st fight with this rematch. Since then, Sean has come a long way, taking his already excellent striking to a much higher level, and most importantly, seriously strengthening himself and healing all his injuries.
We envision that he will be more restrained at the start of the fight. However, as soon as he finds his distance and Vera begins to get closer and make mistakes, Sean will land countless one-twos and body shots.
The main thing that Sean must do is to protect himself from the low kicks that Chito will probably throw at any opportunity. The champion takes hits to the ankle especially hard, so he needs to not just maintain a long distance, but try to interrupt his opponent with counters in order to stop him.
Marlon Vera Preview
Marlon “Chito” Vera is a veteran fighter from Ecuador known for his toughness and ability to finish fights early. He has excellent technique on the ground and a powerful punch. Vera has already proven that he is capable of defeating O’Malley (although it involved a lot of luck), and will no doubt come to the rematch with an even greater desire to prove his superiority.
Vera’s main drawback in the upcoming fight may be his predictability for O’Malley. Sean had certainly analyzed their previous meeting and prepared for Vera’s tactics. To win, Marlon will need to come up with a surprise and show that he is capable of acting not only on the ground but also in the standing position.
Vera is a natural talent but he hasn’t changed his style in ten years and we doubt that he will find a way to surprise the champ. For example, he clearly showed his weaknesses in his fights against good strikers like Sandhagen and Aldo. He will not be able to use the game plan he had for Pedro Munhoz mainly because of O’Malley’s advantage in size.
Looking to go home with some new bantamweight hardware 😤@ChitoVeraUFC hits the scale at 135lbs
Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera Prediction: The Champ Will Get His Revenge
This will be an intense and unpredictable fight between two very different fighters. We would love to see Marlon Vera with the belt around his waist but we cannot pick him for our O’Malley vs Vera prediction.
O’Malley will enter the octagon motivated not only to defend his title but also to take revenge for his past defeat. Vera, in turn, will strive to prove that his victory was not an accident.
All things considered, you can expect Sean O’Malley to be cautious early in the fight, using his best attributes of mobility and accuracy. Marlon Vera will probably look for an opportunity to take the fight to the ground, where he feels more confident.
We predict that he will immediately occupy the center of the octagon, pressing Sean to the net in order to prevent the champion from moving in a circle and attacking from the side. His main task is to get into the clinch range as quickly as possible.
However, we have much more faith in Sean’s striking, cold-blooded movement, and understanding of the fight and endurance indicators. At the same time, the straightforward pressing of Chito will hardly be able to deceive the champion. There is value in betting on the knockout as Sean is a massive betting favorite and his moneyline is low.
Vlad is a former amateur MMA fighter. After a series of injuries, he found a different way to connect with the sport and its fanbase - through writing. He's been covering everything-UFC for over 5 years on various platforms and has been part of the team at NYFights since early 2022.
