Aljamain Sterling makes surprising prediction for Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera title fight

The former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling recently weighed in on the upcoming Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera title fight and shared his prediction for the rematch. 'Sugar' and Vera will face each other at UFC 299 on March 9, 2024, in a bantamweight title bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

In their previous meeting at UFC 252 in August 2020, 'Chito' secured a shocking first-round knockout over the American and was the only fighter to hand the Montana native a loss. The Ecuadorian notably hit one of O'Malley's nerves with a high calf kick early on, taking away his balancing ability and mobility.

Unsurprisingly, redeeming his sole career loss against Marlon Vera is a priority for Sean O'Malley, and he called out the Ecuadorian for a rematch immediately after beating Aljamain Sterling for the 135-pound championship at UFC 292. While many have mixed predictions for the fight, 'Aljo' believes the 31-year-old will get it done.

The former UFC bantamweight champion recently replied to a fan tweet asking the former bantamweight champion about some statements Vera made at the UFC's seasonal press conference. The 'Funk Master' wrote:

"I saw him today. Shook hands. He’s entitled to his gifted title shot, but respectfully, our resumes don’t compare. I still think Chito will score the upset for some distinct reasons."

Check out the tweet below:

Screenshot via @funkmasterMMA on X

---

UFC 299: Song Yadong on Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera

UFC bantamweight contender Song Yadong recently shared his two cents on the Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera bantamweight title fight. While the 26-year-old Chinese native believes 'Sugar' has what it takes to defend his title, he hopes the Ecuadorian can pull off an upset.

'Kung Fu Kid' is coming off a dominant unanimous decision victory over Chris Gutierrez at UFC Vegas 83 and wasted no time calling out former 135-pound king Petr Yan for a fight at UFC 299. Considering that 'Sugar' and 'Chito' are set to headline that same card, he shared his predictions for the title rematch.

While Song Yadong is backing the bantamweight champion to win, he hoped the challenger could pull off an upset, which would allow 'The Kung Fu Kid' to call for a rematch against the Ecuadorian. They previously faced each other at UFC on ESPN 8 in May 2020, where the Chinese fighter won via unanimous decision.

At the UFC Vegas 83 post-fight press conference, He stated:

"I pick Sean. Sean is smart, good footwork, and good speed but I hope Chito can win the fight and have a rematch with me. That would be very good.”

Check out MMAJunkie's X post here:

Screenshots via @MMAJunkie on X