"He's gonna have to come up with some new sh*t" - Sean O'Malley warns against Marlon Vera fighting at orthodox or southpaw stance
Sean O'Malley's confidence is at an all-time high heading into UFC 299.
With less than two months until the next bantamweight title fight, O'Malley spoke with MMA reporter The Schmo — whose given name is Dave Schmulenson — and predicted a dominant defense of his championship. He was so confident in his approach that he claimed Marlon Vera would be "f*****" in either a conventional or southpaw stance.
O'Malley said:
"He's gonna have to come up with some new s***, like a new stance or something. Because if he stands left foot forward: KO. If he stands right foot forward: KO. So I don't know, he's gonna have to figure something out."
'Suga' added that he would reach a new 'level' in the fight and leave every viewer in awe of his skill set.
The champion said:
"We're gonna see something that we've seen before [from me] which is a KO. But I just think this level of performance I'm about to put on is going to be something just unseen before. The reason is because Chito is so tough and so durable. So I'm going to have to hit him with [so many strikes]. It's just gonna be a beautiful, masterful performance."
While O'Malley has predicted a knockout of Vera at UFC 299, he has stepped back slightly in his comments and acknowledged his opponent's accomplishments.
According to O'Malley, Vera has never been finished or knocked down in a fight and is the UFC leader in all-time finishes in the bantamweight division. However, the American remains persistent that he will be the first fighter to knock out the Ecuadorian.
Watch the full interview with Sean O'Malley and The Schmo below:
Sean O'Malley calls for featherweight fight with Ilia Topuria should both fighters win upcoming title fights
Should Sean O'Malley successfully defend his bantamweight belt, the fan-favorite striker has already predicted a knockout in his next fight.
O'Malley claimed that if both he and Ilia Topuria win their upcoming pay-per-view headliners, the UFC would match them up for a champion vs. champion super fight. Topuria has not responded directly to O'Malley's recent claims but has previously called 'Suga' an "easy" matchup.
While O'Malley is the favorite to defeat Marlon Vera at UFC 299, Topuria is currently the betting underdog to become a UFC champion against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298.