Sean O'Malley has quickly become one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster. His fame has earned him a quick rise to title contention, which many believe is undeserved. The No.13-ranked bantamweight will take on Petr Yan, the No.1-ranked bantamweight at UFC 280. A win against Yan will likely fetch O'Malley a title shot.
O'Malley enters his UFC 280 matchup with Yan with fifteen wins, one no contest, and a solitary loss, which came at UFC 252 against Marlon Vera, who also recently defeated Dominick Cruz. Vera, the No.5-ranked bantamweight, is on a four-fight win-streak and many want to see him rematch 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley.
One fan joked that Vera's win against Cruz showed he is deserving of a rematch against O'Malley:
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Many fans were quick to call out the original tweet:
Others came to O'Malley's defense, while continuing the inital joke:
Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera both appear to be in a position where they have a legitimate chance at fighting for the bantamweight belt. Vera's knockout win over Dominick Cruz was an impressive showing. O'Malley, in turn, will need to defeat Petr Yan at UFC 280. There is, however, a chance that the two fighters will meet again before either receives a title shot.
Should Sean O'Malley, Marlon Vera, or another fighter receive the next title shot?
Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera will both have an argument for the next title shot, assuming O'Malley defeats Petr Yan. If all goes well for 'Sugar,' he would also have the added benefit of fighting on the same card as the current title fight between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and No.2-ranked bantamweight T.J. Dillashaw.
Vera is now on a four-fight win-streak following his loss to Jose Aldo. That win streak, capped off by a knockout of UFC legend Dominick Cruz, has made him very deserving of a title shot.
There is one scenario where neither O'Malley nor Vera are next to fight for the belt. UFC legend Jose Aldo, the No.3-ranked bantamweight, will take on Merab Dvalishvili, the No.6-ranked bantamweight, at UFC 278. If Aldo defeats Dvalishvili, he could be next in line for the title shot.
Aldo's legendary career is nearing its end and the UFC could prioritize giving him a title opportunity. O'Malley has stated that he would be fine with Aldo receiving the next title fight. If this happens, we could get O'Malley-Vera II sooner than expected.