"Sean is down there collecting cans"- Fans debate if Sean O'Malley should rematch Marlon Vera
Sean O'Malley has quickly become one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster. His fame has earned him a quick rise to title contention, which many believe is undeserved. The No.13-ranked bantamweight will take on Petr Yan, the No.1-ranked bantamweight at UFC 280. A win against Yan will likely fetch O'Malley a title shot.
O'Malley enters his UFC 280 matchup with Yan with fifteen wins, one no contest, and a solitary loss, which came at UFC 252 against Marlon Vera, who also recently defeated Dominick Cruz. Vera, the No.5-ranked bantamweight, is on a four-fight win-streak and many want to see him rematch 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley.
One fan joked that Vera's win against Cruz showed he is deserving of a rematch against O'Malley:
Alright that settles it, Chito has done enough to earn a rematch with Sean O’Malley
Many fans were quick to call out the original tweet:
@McGregorRousey Chito is up there working towards a title shot and shutting down elite contenders, Sean is down there collecting cans.
You saying Chito is "deserving" of that?
@McGregorRousey Omally doesnt desserve that
@ukraniandream @McGregorRousey In his last 5 he's lost to Chito, beat 3 cans and had a no contest against a gatekeeper. Beating Yan does not justify him getting a title shot besides the same reason he even got the Yan fight, he's another one of Dana's hype trains
@McGregorRousey Earn? Why does he have to earn a rematch? A fight between them would be great but I don’t get how you say earn
Others came to O'Malley's defense, while continuing the inital joke:
@McGregorRousey Sean is busy in a #1 contender fight so Chito's gonna need a couple more
@McGregorRousey one more, maybe somebody that people have actually heard of?? not some random 37 year old with weird footwork & pillowfists. johnathan cruz or whatever they said his name was lol
@creamofdacock @McGregorRousey He’s definitely got to beat ngannou before people even dream of giving him the rematch with O’Malley 🤦🏻♂️
@McGregorRousey Needs one more win
Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera both appear to be in a position where they have a legitimate chance at fighting for the bantamweight belt. Vera's knockout win over Dominick Cruz was an impressive showing. O'Malley, in turn, will need to defeat Petr Yan at UFC 280. There is, however, a chance that the two fighters will meet again before either receives a title shot.
Should Sean O'Malley, Marlon Vera, or another fighter receive the next title shot?
Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera will both have an argument for the next title shot, assuming O'Malley defeats Petr Yan. If all goes well for 'Sugar,' he would also have the added benefit of fighting on the same card as the current title fight between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and No.2-ranked bantamweight T.J. Dillashaw.
Vera is now on a four-fight win-streak following his loss to Jose Aldo. That win streak, capped off by a knockout of UFC legend Dominick Cruz, has made him very deserving of a title shot.
This week, I laid out what I thought every bantamweight would need in order to get the next title shot. Chito, Dom, Aldo, O'Malley, Yan, Cejudo, Merab ... Safe to say Chito nailed his ... espn.com/mma/story/_/id…
There is one scenario where neither O'Malley nor Vera are next to fight for the belt. UFC legend Jose Aldo, the No.3-ranked bantamweight, will take on Merab Dvalishvili, the No.6-ranked bantamweight, at UFC 278. If Aldo defeats Dvalishvili, he could be next in line for the title shot.
Aldo's legendary career is nearing its end and the UFC could prioritize giving him a title opportunity. O'Malley has stated that he would be fine with Aldo receiving the next title fight. If this happens, we could get O'Malley-Vera II sooner than expected.