UFC 299 was easily the highlight of the month with some of the most amazing action we’ve seen all year. Naturally, it is no surprise that people are still discussing the event more than a week later. Interestingly, we now have some rather strong statements from Sean O’Malley regarding his last opponent.
For those unaware, ‘Suga’ made the first defense of his bantamweight title against Marlon Vera at UFC 299. In what was a grudge match four years in the making, things were made to align perfectly for Vera to have his shot at the title as well. In their previous encounter, O’Malley had suffered a KO/TKO loss due to a compromised ankle during the fight.
The Suga Show is here to stay 🍬
Last night @SugaSeanMMA defended the bantamweight title at #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/t5RK2tPBE6
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
Thus, there was always a big asterisk next to the win. Moreover, with Sean O’Malley going on to do great things, the UFC felt compelled to complete the storyline, giving Vera an ‘undeserved’ title shot. On the night, Sean pitched an absolute shutout to Malley, taking all five rounds decisively. As such, Chito’s only saving grace was his seemingly unbreakable chin, which saw him survive till the end of the fight.
Sean O’Malley slams Marlon Vera for his fake persona
Since his win, Sean O’Malley has been taking some well-deserved time off. Streaming Call of Duty for most of the day, O’Malley is keeping away from other activities that could get him in trouble. In a recent episode of his podcast, Sean discussed the same before eventually picking up the topic of Marlon Vera.
According to Tim Welch and Sean, there has been an outpour of love and support for the Ecuadorian, despite his loss. Owing to his family story and his resilience, many have commended the fighter. However, Welch and O’Malley cannot help but feel much differently:
Sean O’Malley GOES OFF on Chito Vera, and says he knows stuff about him that would “ruin his life” 😬
“Everyone seems to love [Chito], that mother f***er is a fake a** b***h. Chito sucks.
I know sh** that people don’t know that would change their minds on him. But I’m not… pic.twitter.com/b4uFfjLJEF
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 19, 2024
“Everyone seems to love (Chito), that mother f***er is a fake a** b***h. Chito sucks”.
“I know sh** that people don’t know that would change their minds on him. But I’m not gonna go out there and post it.”
As such, it appears as though the fighter-trainer duo are aware of things about Vera, that are not known to the public. Although people have their reservations about Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch, they are known to give credit where it’s due. Thus, in this situation, Sean claims that he will choose to be ‘the bigger man’ and not spoil Chito’s reputation.
Things have gone downhill for Marlon Vera after UFC 299
For the most part, many felt sorry for Marlon Vera for numerous reasons. Not only was he on the receiving end of one of the worst beatdowns in UFC history, but it was later revealed that his house was also burgled a day ahead of UFC 299. A frustrating time to say the least, Chito then went on to lose to Sean O’Malley, one of his biggest rivals.
Following the loss, Chito revealed that he really wished to dedicate his win to his eldest daughter, who suffers from Moebius Syndrome:
“My whole vision was to wrap the belt around my oldest daughter, because she’s really the reason when my life changed, when I started making the right decision”.
“And that kind of kills me a little bit. It’s a hard pill to swallow.”
All these things really touched the people. However, at the same time, he also faced a lot of criticism for suggesting that O’Malley greased his hair and that the tie was now at 1-1. Thus, not only has Vera been slammed by Sean O’Malley and many other fighters, but the fans are slowly starting to turn on him as well. As such, he will have to do a lot to win them back, as he looks to take on Petr Yan in November at Madison Square Garden.