Sean O'Malley talks about what could be the deciding factor in the Cory Sandhagen vs. Marlon Vera fight

Sean O'Malley has addressed a key factor in the highly-anticipated fight between Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera that'll headline the UFC Fight Night event on February 18, 2023. While 'Sugar' hasn't faced Sandhagen yet, he's fought Vera once.

O'Malley and 'Chito' are archrivals and have taken multiple jibes at one another in recent years. O'Malley notably suffered a debilitating leg injury during his fight against Vera in August 2020 and lost via first-round TKO.

In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Sean O'Malley suggested that he'd like to face 'Chito' in a rematch, ideally with the UFC bantamweight title at stake. Furthermore, 'Sugar' alluded to the fact that Vera's upcoming fight against Sandhagen will transpire at the UFC Apex inside the 25-foot (diameter) octagon rather than the usual 30-foot (diameter) octagon.

Generally, Vera chooses to strike at close range and brawl with his foes, whereas Sandhagen prefers being elusive and striking at long range. On that note, 'Sugar' suggested that the smaller octagon would give Vera an advantage over 'The Sandman':

"The only difference is the cage. The [UFC] Apex doesn't have a big cage, and it makes zero sense. I want 'Chito' to win. If that is the case, me versus 'Chito' for the belt is massive. Or, I go out there and beat whoever that is, and then first title defense against 'Chito.'"

"The big cage is what, 40 percent bigger? I think it gives 'Chito' a pretty big advantage. I don't know if advantage is the right word, but a disadvantage rather than for Cory."

Watch O'Malley discuss the topic in the video below:

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Sean O'Malley on possibly facing the winner of the rumored Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo UFC title fight

Apart from a rematch against longtime foe Marlon Vera, Sean O'Malley has also spoken about a potential fight between himself and the winner of the rumored Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo matchup. Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Sterling is likely to defend his title against Cejudo in early 2023.

During an appearance on Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast, Sean O'Malley acknowledged that both Sterling and Cejudo possess elite wrestling skills. The No.1-ranked UFC bantamweight contender emphasized that he's training and getting better.

Furthermore, O'Malley indicated that he's specifically improving certain aspects of his wrestling arsenal. Confident that he could beat the Sterling-Cejudo winner for UFC gold, 'Sugar' said:

"They are both very heavy grapplers. So, I am fine with sitting out. I am literally just grappling. That's all I'm really doing nowadays. So, I am fine waiting in the next couple of months, just keep getting better."

Watch O'Malley's assessment at 1:35 in the video below: