"Nobody cares that he won that fight" - Marlon Vera's "anger" stems from going unnoticed after Sean O'Malley win, says Dominick Cruz
Dominick Cruz recently offered a candid take on fellow 135-pounder Marlon Vera. 'The Dominator' opined that being overlooked following his win against Sean O'Malley has resulted in 'Chito' harboring a lot of anger.
Vera and O'Malley previously locked horns with each other in a bantamweight clash at UFC 252. The co-main event scrap saw Vera emerge triumphant after stopping 'Sugar' in the first round.
Although the setback marked Sean O'Malley's first career loss, he refused to recognize Marlon Vera's victory as legitimate, blaming his failure on a bizarre leg injury.
#UFC252WOW 😳
Chito Vera takes Sean O'Malley from the ranks of the undefeated with some nasty elbows 💪 #UFC252 https://t.co/3zjmzdAMwN
While in conversation with The Schmo during a segment titled The Schmo and The Pro, the former bantamweight champion admitted that Vera's anger is a direct result of being frequently ignored by fans and management:
"He's a guy that just wants people to hear him because, you know, look at what he did to Sean O'Malley and nobody said a thing about him. I mean, nobody cares that he won that fight. So he's just tired of being, like, ignored... He's obviously very angry about something. I think he just wants to be heard and for people to care about him."
Catch Dominick Cruz's full interview with The Schmo below:
Cruz and Vera currently find themselves on a collision course with each other. The two are scheduled to headline the action on a fight night card. The event is set to unfold on August 13 at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Dominick Cruz eyeing a return to title contention with a win against Marlon Vera
In a recent interaction on Helen Yee Sports, Dominick Cruz offered fans some insight into his future in the promotion should he overcome the challenge presented by Marlon Vera at UFC on ESPN 41.
Per Cruz, a win against 'Chito' in all likelihood should boost him right to the top for a title fight. The former UFC champion declared that his ability to boost pay-per-view buys could bolster his chances of receiving a push from the UFC. He told Helen Yee:
"It moves me to the top of the division. I mean, as a former champion those are the fights you want you want, former champions fighting for the champions because I've got a following. I've done it before. People are behind me and that's what this is. It's about getting the most eyes on the fight that you can and with the following I have, I think that that plus a big win gets me right up there to the top."
Check out Dominick Cruz's full interaction with Helen Yee below: