UFC 252 - Sean O'Malley gets finished in the first round by Marlon Vera in a bizarre conclusion
In the co-main event of tonight's UFC 252 pay-per-view, Sean O'Malley made his quick return to the Octagon against Marlon Vera in an exciting Bantamweight bout. Heading into the fight, O'Malley was certainly the favorite, whereas, 'Chito' Vera was somewhat been overlooked, despite being one of the finest hitters in the Bantamweight Division.
However, tonight that wasn't the case to be, as Marlon Vera proved all his critics wrong and finished Sean O'Malley, regardless of the controversial finish to the Bantamweight bout.
Marlon Vera finishes Sean O'Malley
Heading into this fight, Sean O'Malley had secured two big wins at UFC 248 and UFC 250, and tonight was his chance to make it three in a row. After a composed start from both fighters, 'Sugar' tweaked his right foot and by the end of the fight, that definitely seemed to play a vital part in the conclusion to the bout.
Marlon Vera eventually got his opponent down, landed a flurry of elbows, and ref Herb Dean was forced to step in with just 20 seconds left on the clock in the first round. O'Malley didn't even cause a protest in what could be argued was an early stoppage, as 'Sugar' immediately held his foot and looked to be in a lot of pain.
What's next for Marlon Vera?
It remains to be seen what's next from Marlon Vera from here onwards. The Ecuadorian fighter will definitely have a top-ranked fighter in his sights and with the likes of the champion Petr Yan, Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo, and Frankie Edgar part of the UFC Bantamweight Division, the options are definitely endless for Marlon Vera.
As for Sean O'Malley, it remains to be seen what the actual issue is with the Bantamweight fighter's foot and what eventually caused the first-round KO after 'Sugar' had seemingly tweaked his ankle.