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Sean O'Malley's UFC 252 loss to Marlon 'Chito' Vera is a shadow that looms large over his entire career and has led to the narrative surrounding his perceived weakness to low kicks. As a result, 'Sugar' was asked how he planned to counter Vera in the event that his foe opted for low kicks again at the UFC 299 press conference.
O'Malley was as direct as possible with his answer, revealing that while Vera was free to prioritize chopping at his legs, he would in turn aim for the Ecuadorian's chin. He said:
"I'm going to kick him in the lips, baby. He can kick my legs all he wants, but my legs are gonna be on his f***ing chin, so."
Check out Sean O'Malley's thoughts on his matchup with Marlon Vera (24:35):
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O'Malley offered little in the way of any substantial answer, only claiming that he would target his opponent's chin. How he actually plans on dealing with Vera's low kicks remains to be seen. However, it is likely that he will implement his tricky footwork and distance management as tools to keep the challenger at bay.
The bantamweight champion often keeps his opponents at the end of his kicks and punches. Furthermore, he is extremely mobile, so timing low kicks can be difficult against him. Nevertheless, 'Sugar' will undoubtedly be dialed in for his rematch with 'Chito,' who handed him his only career loss.
The pair settle their differences in the UFC 299 headliner, which takes place tomorrow, March 9, and will mark O'Malley's first defense of his bantamweight championship.
Sean O'Malley could fight Ryan Garcia at some point
Given how erratic Ryan Garcia has been recently, it is difficult to determine whether his challenge to Sean O'Malley was a serious one. However, the prospect of 'Sugar' heightening his star power by handing 'King Ryan' a humbling loss in MMA is one too valuable for him to pass up.
But to face Garcia, 'Sugar' should, ideally, emerge from UFC 299 as the bantamweight champion. There will be further intrigue in the bout if he has a dominant showing against Marlon Vera. That, however, remains to be seen, as 'Chito' is a tough outing for virtually anyone at 135 pounds.
