Former bantamweight champ agrees with Matt Brown's take of UFC "squeezing all the juice" out of Sean O'Malley

A former UFC bantamweight echoed Matt Brown's recent critique of the promotion maximizing Sean O'Malley's potential.

O'Malley is poised to defend his 135-pound title for the first time against rival Marlon Vera in the main event of UFC 299. The third pay-per-view event of 2024 is scheduled to take place this Saturday at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

'Chito' wasn't exactly in the title-shot conversation after a defeat to Cory Sandhagen and a narrow unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292 last August. However, his TKO victory over O'Malley at UFC 252 in 2020 was the decisive factor in arranging this showdown.

During a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, welterweight veteran Matt Brown asserted that the matchmaking was strategic. According to Brown, O'Malley's upcoming fight serves a purpose: to provide him with at least one defense before potentially facing Merab Dvalishvili, in which the reigning champion might encounter a formidable challenge:

"It should have been Merab, but the UFC’s squeezing all the juice they can out of Sean O'Malley before Merab comes in and empties that cup out."

Check out Matt Brown's comments below:

Aljamain Sterling chimed in on the Instagram post by MMA Fighting featuring Brown's remarks and expressed his backing:

"I’m glad another fighter is finally saying it."

Check out Aljamain Sterling's comment below:

Credits: @mmafighting on Instagram

'Sugar' clinched the bantamweight championship at UFC 292 with a second-round TKO victory over Sterling. Since then, 'Sugar' has been vocal about his desire for a rematch with 'Chito'.

In their initial bout, O'Malley battled with balance issues caused by a rare drop-foot injury from an impact on the perineal nerve. However, he frequently asserts that his defeat was nothing more than a stroke of luck.

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Sean O'Malley to don pink shorts for UFC 299 showdown with Marlon Vera

Sean O'Malley will be sporting a unique UFC champion's ensemble when he enters the octagon this weekend. Instead of the traditional black and gold shorts reserved for champions, 'Sugar' will wear a pair of vibrant neon pink shorts at UFC 299.

The reigning champion disclosed the change in fight attire, which the UFC subsequently announced through social media.

O'Malley's decision to don pink during a UFC fight isn't uncommon, as he follows the example of former middleweight champion Rick Franklin and former light heavyweight contender Phil Davis, both of whom have integrated pink into their gear in the past.