"Defend that belt" - Former opponent fires fresh shots at 'McGregor wannabe' Sean O'Malley
One of the UFC's newest and most popular champions has seemingly gathered the attention of both fans and fighters alike, whether it be positive or negative.
Sean O'Malley has made headlines since winning the belt by teasing a move to boxing. However, his boxing comments have seemingly annoyed top contenders in the bantamweight division.
Marlon 'Chito' Vera, the only man to have registered a win over Sean O'Malley, took a shot at the champion on X. He said:
"This b**** talking about boxing, defend that belt mcgregor wannabe"
It has been rumored since O'Malley won the belt that he would attempt his first title defense in a rematch with Vera and a chance to avenge his lone career blemish. Vera won a convincing decision over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292, the same night O'Malley took Aljamain Sterling's place at the top of the division.
The bad blood between Vera and O'Malley has existed even before their first meeting and has only grown exponentially since then. Vera's tweet comes five days after O'Malley seemingly accepted a social media callout from Devin Haney immediately following the conclusion of Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou.
Is Sean O'Malley fighting Marlon Vera next?
After finally claiming UFC gold in August, fans immediately knew the bantamweight division was in for a wild ride. That journey begins with Sean O'Malley's first title defense, which has yet to be announced.
Though never officially booked, it has been rumored and widely assumed that the next UFC bantamweight championship fight would feature Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. Talks of a potential O'Malley vs. Vera fight grew after it was reported that the UFC was targeting a fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Henry Cejudo.
Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo has not been made official yet either, but that leaves just two potential options for O'Malley: a rematch with Aljamain Sterling or a rematch with Vera. The champion has already expressed little interest in the Sterling fight, leading all signs pointing towards Vera.