Sean O'Malley calls for an interim title fight against Marlon 'Chito' Vera in March 2023
As the dust settles on his three-round war with Petr Yan, No.1-ranked bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley has called for an interim title fight against No.4-ranked 'Chito'.
Following his impressive performance over T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280, champion Aljamain Sterling indicated that he'll have an extended break away from the octagon. This has opened up the potential for a temporary champion to be put in place.
While discussing Aljamain Sterling's hiatus on his YouTube channel, Sean O'Malley proposed his idea to the UFC involving himself and long-term rival Marlon Vera:
"Aljo [Aljamain Sterling] cuts a lot of weight, he's probably already back up to 165, 170. He's probably like, 'I don't want to cut weight again in the next couple [of] months, I want to enjoy it,' he wants to wait eight months... I get it, I do. But say the number one contender, 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley, is ready to go in March and the next guy in line, in my opinion, should be 'Chito' Vera. He just beat Dominick Cruz, beat Frankie Edgar, [and] beat some good guys. Why not have a little interim belt and the winner of the interim belt fights 'Aljo' when he's ready?"
In his last outing, the Ecuadorian put on a striking clinic against one of the best defensive strikers the MMA world has ever known in Dominick Cruz. 'Chito' scored three knockdowns throughout the fight, with one of those leading to a stoppage victory.
Check out O'Malley's suggestion to the UFC on what should be next for him in the video below:
What makes Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera such a big matchup?
Ever since being introduced to MMA fans, Sean O'Malley has been a star and his name continues to grow.
Marlon Vera is a huge draw amongst the South American fanbase and is an extremely entertaining fighter to watch compete. Not only could this matchup produce a Fight of the Year contender, but the rematch should settle the score after the controversial end to their bout over two years ago.
What makes this such a big fight, if an interim title is put on the line, is that no matter who wins, each fighter will bring a whole new set of eyes to the sport from their vastly different supporter groups.