UFC veteran weighs in on potential Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch
As the bantamweight division begins to take shape with numerous contenders all viable for a shot at gold, rumors of a Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch have begun surfacing. Josh Thomson has now weighed in on the potential matchup.
'Chito' was riding an impressive four-fight win streak and was on the verge of a possible title shot before his run came to an end in his last octagon appearance. In what was expected to be a fight-of-the-year contender, the Ecuadorian didn't perform at his best, leading to a one-sided display by Cory Sandhagen.
While discussing a potential Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch during the Weighing In podcast, Josh Thomson insisted that the UFC should pit 'Chito' against a different top bantamweight competitor instead.
"[Is now the time to make 'Chito' versus O'Malley 2?] No... Petr Yan and 'Chito', That's a great fight. That's probably the fight to make. The two of them coming off their losses, they [the UFC] have got to get one of their top-10 fighters a win, making sure one of them stays in the rankings... I think that's the perfect matchup because Petr's not going to really wrestle... He's very come-forward, boxing-centric and he'll throw blows to trade blows. The problem that I have with both of those guys [is that] they're both slow starters."
While Vera still has championship aspirations, he is known for wanting to entertain against the toughest possible opponents, and despite his three-fight losing streak, Petr Yan checks that box.
A win for either man would likely put them straight back into title contention. Given their history of highly entertaining fights, this one has all the ingredients to be an all-timer in the 135-pound division.
Check out what Josh Thomson had to say about the potential bantamweight bout in the video below:
Sean O'Malley's next fight: Is the 'Chito' Vera clash the right matchup to make?
While the Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera rematch has been in high demand since the controversial end to their first outing, now may not be the right time to match the two fan favorites.
With Aljamain Sterling set to defend his throne against Henry Cejudo next, it is rumored that the winner will then put their strap on the line against 'Sugar' later on in the year.
Although an O'Malley vs. Vera rematch is still an eagerly anticipated clash amongst the MMA community, it is unlikely that the UFC will pit the flashy 135lber against an opponent coming off a loss.