Sean O'Malley's coach shares confident prediction ahead of UFC 299 clash with Marlon Vera

Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera are set to do battle in a much-anticipated rematch at UFC 299 on March 9.

The pair previously met at UFC 252, where 'Chito' secured a TKO victory over O'Malley, his only career defeat. Vera compromised the peroneal nerve in his opponent's leg after landing a calf kick, causing O'Malley to lose feeling in his foot.

The now-champion then fell to the ground after losing his footing and was finished via TKO.

But O'Malley has dismissed the loss as a "fluke" on several occasions, and he and his coach, Tim Welch, are fully confident that he will be able to defeat Vera in the rematch.

Welch was recently interviewed by James Lynch, where he shared a prediction for the bout, saying this:

"I just don't see 'Chito' being able to catch him, I think in the big cage Sean's gonna be too fast. If we decide to take him down and get on top in half guard, we have Tanquinho Mendes, who is one of the best half guard guys on top, ADCC champion. He's one of the best guys to ever do it.

He continued:

"We saw what 'Chito' looked like underneath Cory Sandhagen, so if we decide to take him down, great. We plan on making it a war but I do see Sean probably knocking him out."

Listen to the prediction for Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera below (8:40):

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Cory Sandhagen predicts a close fight between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera

UFC 299 will be headlined by a bantamweight title clash between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. Both men are known for their striking abilities, and fans can expect the bout to be contested largely on the feet.

Fellow expert bantamweight striker No.4-ranked Cory Sandhagen recently shared his thoughts on the fight and believes that 'Chito' will be a tough matchup for the champion to overcome.

Vera is known for avoiding significant damage during fights, which will cause problems for 'Sugar' according to Sandhagen.

'The Sandman' was recently interviewed by Ariel Helwani, and said this:

"[O'Malley] needs you to make a mistake in order for him to capitalize on it... But 'Chito' doesn't do any of those things. 'Chito' protects himself really well, he's kind of a defense-orientated guy... I don't think that 'Chito' is going to just march forward and make a giant mistake that Sean O'Malley is going to be able to capitalize on."

Watch the video below from 9:35: