“I’m in, send papers” - Marlon 'Chito' Vera issues no-nonsense reply to champ Sean O’Malley’s UFC rematch talk

Marlon 'Chito' Vera may very well have earned himself his first-ever crack at an undisputed UFC title. At UFC 292, his arch-rival, Sean O'Malley dethroned Aljamain Sterling as the bantamweight champion, doing so in emphatic fashion. After his win, 'Sugar' singled out 'Chito' as his first choice for a title challenger.

On the same evening, Marlon 'Chito' Vera defeated Pedro Munhoz, an opponent that he and Sean O'Malley have in common. Now, with the dust settled and both men emerging from UFC 292 in successful fashion, 'Chito' has called for a title fight with O'Malley, demanding that the UFC send him a contract.

He said as much to world-renowned sports journalist Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, claiming to have texted UFC president Dana White and UFC executive vice president and chief business officer, Hunter Campbell:

"It's up to Dana, Hunter, Sean Shelby, and I have a feeling, they wanna do this too, so if you guys are listening, I'm in. Send papers, I sign that sh*t, let's do it."

Both Sean O'Malley and Marlon 'Chito' Vera have more than enough reason to want to face each other. O'Malley's only career loss as a professional MMA fighter came at Vera's hands. However, 'Sugar' has refused to accept the loss, characterizing it as a fluke, while claiming to be mentally undefeated.

His stance has led to widespread criticism and mockery from the MMA community, so it is only natural that he wants to prove his superiority to Vera and avenge his only loss. Meanwhile, 'Chito' is pursuing the fight because it is his first potential title fight, representing a life-changing opportunity for him if he wins.

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Is Marlon 'Chito' Vera on a win streak?

Last year, the Ecuadorian sensation was on a four-fight win streak that saw him punctuate his 2022 campaign with knockouts over former UFC champions Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar. Unfortunately, his 2023 run started in disastrous fashion as he suffered a lopsided decision against Cory Sandhagen.

The fight was defined by Vera's low-volume style and him not doing enough to win. Fortunately, he bounced back against Pedro Munhoz. However, he has only won a single fight since his loss to Sandhagen and is yet to embark on another win streak.