Marlon Vera hasn’t forgotten about Sean O’Malley’s previous anti-doing violations.
Vera and O’Malley are set for a rematch in the UFC 299 main event on March 9, 2024. UFC CEO Dana White recently revealed that the card will be taking place in Miami.
There is no love lost between “Chito” and the “Sugar” show. Back in August 2020, Vera handed O’Malley the lone loss of his pro MMA career. The two weren’t chummy going into that bout and things certainly haven’t changed much as we head into the rematch.
Marlon Vera Takes Dig At Sean O’Malley
UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping recently had an interview with Marlon Vera, who discussed being a clean athlete and not taking shortcuts. He then took a jab at O’Malley, calling his past USADA violations into question.
“If you’re looking for easier ways or shortcuts, you won’t make it,” Vera said. “Talking about that, this guy already test positive before. I mean, it was an accident? I don’t know. That’s why our first fight got canceled. He test positive a few times. Now, they call it micro. It’s a little thing, but that little thing could be because you were cleaning yourself or because you’re an idiot and you don’t know how to read the ingredients or you don’t ask USADA about it, but that’s just another topic.”
If all goes according to plan, UFC 299 will be the event that features Vera’s first UFC title opportunity. Many have questioned the UFC’s decision to book this fight, given there are higher ranked bantamweight contenders. With that said, no one is denying “Chito’s” abilities and the general consensus is that O’Malley isn’t necessarily a lock to get revenge on “Chito.” With that said, O’Malley is the early betting favorite going into the rematch with Vera.
Here is the full “Believe You Me” podcast episode featuring the Marlon Vera interview:
