5 fights that could be next for Marlon Vera
On Saturday, Marlon Vera scored arguably the biggest win of his career with a devastating head kick finish of former champion and UFC legend Dominick Cruz. While Vera was already in the top five at bantamweight, that win likely leaves him needing at most one more win to earn a title opportunity.
WATCH: Marlon Vera knocks out Dominick Cruz with a terrifying head kick. Looked like a baseball bat to the face! #UFCSanDiego https://t.co/cPrXnUqcDl
There is also a chance he may be able to challenge for the belt right away given just how sensational his KO was. With a number of important bantamweight bouts scheduled to take place in the coming months, he will likely have to see how those play out. From there, we may get a better idea of who is next for 'Chito'.
Here are five fights that could be next for Marlon Vera:
#5. Marlon Vera vs. Sean O’Malley II
Sean O’Malley’s next fight will come against Peter Yan at UFC 280 on October 22. Should he win that fight he could easily leapfrog Marlon Vera and others in the division to secure the next title shot. However, 'Sugar' has, in the past, expressed a marked disinclination to fight Vera again.
If Jose Aldo defeats Merab Dvalishvili on Saturday, he will have a strangle-hold on the next bantamweight title shot. Should O’Malley also win, he would likely still have to wait until after Aldo fights for the belt to get his title opportunity. In this scenario, he may choose to stay active instead of sitting on his spot.
Aug15.2020
Marlon Vera hands Sean O'Malley the first loss of his professional career,
when he finishes him by TKO https://t.co/OJRC1t8GzJ
That could set up a re-match between O’Malley and Vera. ‘Chito’ won their first encounter but O’Malley has labeled the result a ‘freak acciddent’ and does not acknowledge it as a loss. It's noteworthy that Vera finished O'Malley on the ground after the latter suffered an ankle injury inside the cage, potentially due to Vera's leg-kicks. Seeing these two settle the score with title implications at stake would be interesting.