Marlon Vera stole the show from Sean O'Malley at the UFC 299 pre-fight press conference. Not only was he cheered by the fans over 'Sugar,' he was also praised by top five UFC flyweight Kai Kara-France for his fashion sense, which the Kiwi felt was the best in all of MMA.
He said as much on a clip of Vera's face-off with O'Malley, which was shared on the UFC's official Instagram page.
Check out Marlon Vera's face-off with Sean O'Malley:
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Kara-France flocked to the comment seciton of the post, where he sang Vera's praises and tagged the Aimé Leon Dore fashion brand.
"Best drip in the game! @chitoveraufc @aimeleondore"
Despite the overwhelming amount of support Vera has received, he has a tall task ahead of him. This evening, he faces O'Malley at UFC 299, where the two men serve as headliners. It is 'Chito's' first crack at bantamweight gold, and he will be more focused for this fight than any other.
His past win over O'Malley will certainly give him confidence, as he knows he possesses the tools to defeat the reigning bantamweight champion. However, many still favor 'Sugar' to emerge victorious. There is a low probability that the manner in which Vera beat him last time will repeat itself.
Additionally, given the challenger's knack for giving up rounds due to his patient, low-volume style, many are worried that he may very well throw away his chances of walking from UFC 299 with the bantamweight belt.
Marlon Vera has already beaten three UFC champions
Three fighters stand out on Marlon Vera's record; Sean O'Malley, Frankie Edgar, Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar. 'Sugar,' a future bantamweight titleholder, tasted defeat for the very first time back in time 2020 after facing him. Meanwhile, Edgar, a former lightweight kingpin, was knocked out cold by Vera in 2021.
Check out Marlon Vera knocking out Frankie Edgar:
'Chito' followed that up with another knockout, this time over Cruz, an all-time great bantamweight champion. It ranks among his most impressive victories, as he not only knocked Cruz unconscious, but shattered his nose with the head kick.