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Sean O'Malley is set to make the first defense of his bantamweight title against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March 2024. Should he defeat 'Chito', the bantamweight champion is eyeing a potential move to featherweight in search of a second belt.
The current king of the 145-pound division, Alexander Volkanovski, is scheduled to face Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, one month prior to O'Malley vs. Vera. If Topuria can realize his destiny and become a UFC champion, 'Sugar' has voiced interest in challenging the surging featherweight.
Sean O'Malley recently appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, where he discussed what his future fight plans could be. The bantamweight champion stated that he had no desire to take on Volkanovski but would be keen to square off against Topuria.
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O'Malley said this:
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"Does Ilia go out there and get the job done? We'll see. That's a fight I'd like... I'm not interested in fighting Volk. I don't like that fight... You know how Justin [Gaethje] said he doesn't want to fight Max [Holloway]? I kind of feel like that about Volk. I like Volk, he's a good dude. Ilia, it's not that I don't like him. I wouldn't [mind] fighting Ilia though. I think that would be an interesting matchup."
Watch the video below from 44:35:
Henry Cejudo shares interesting prediction for Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera
Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera are set to face off for the bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 299 in March 2024.
The pair have already fought once before, at UFC 252, with 'Chito' claiming victory via TKO after compromising O'Malley's peroneal nerve with a calf kick. 'Sugar' has disregarded the loss and still claims to be undefeated. But Henry Cejudo believes 'Chito' will once again defeat Sean O'Malley.
During a recent UFC 299 breakdown video, Cejudo said this:
"Chito Vera beats him. Chito Vera beats him just based on endurance. There's another problematic thing that Sean is not accustomed to is taller guys... He's already seen him in the eyes, he's seen him literally break, he can take him there again."
Watch the video below from 8:40:
