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Morning Report: Henry Cejudo predicts Marlon Vera upset, Sean O’Malley ‘hasn’t gone through the trenches’

LaPhezz November 07, 2023
Drake Riggs https://ift.tt/XFfE1I2
UFC 252: O’Malley v Vera
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Henry Cejudo expects history to repeat itself at UFC 299 in March 2024.

The UFC announced the first three title fights of 2024 yesterday, featuring bouts in the middleweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions. Each title will headline month-by-month from January to March, ending with UFC 299 on a yet-to-be-determined date. Atop the card will be the rematch between 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley as he looks to avenge his only career loss against Marlon “Chito” Vera.

After O’Malley won the title in August against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, a plethora of contenders became viable options for his first title defense. Cejudo was amongst the mix despite his recent split decision loss to Sterling. The former two-division champion now hopes to tussle with Merab Dvalishvili around the same time but ultimately expects the same outcome from this rematch as when Vera first defeated O’Malley by first-round TKO in August 2020.

“I still stick to what I said before,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “‘Chito’ Vera beats him just based on endurance. There’s another problematic thing that Sean is not accustomed to and that’s taller guys. It’s not like ‘Chito’s’ a giant either but he’s about 5-foot-8, 5-foot-9, while Sean O’Malley is 5-foot-11. When you start getting people at the same height and they fought before, one of them already has seen him literally break. You can take him there again. If ‘Chito’ Vera can really up his defense and be able to just keep your hands up, there’s nothing that he can do to your legs. The only thing that he can really do, ‘Chito,’ is right here, your face or your body.”

The key to Vera’s first win was his effective leg kick game, which hampered “Sugar’s” movement and led to ground-and-pound strikes getting the job done. Since then, Vera has continued to be consistently violent by delivering some big knockouts and bruising beatings over names like Rob Font and former champions Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar.

O’Malley is also a proven knockout artist in the division, if not the best. In terms of opposition, Cejudo believes there’s a distinct difference and Vera just has more ways to deal damage than O’Malley.

“A guy like Sean O’Malley hasn’t gone through the trenches,” Cejudo said. “He hasn’t gone through the who’s who. Yeah, he’s got a controversial win, which still, I don’t believe he beat [Petr] Yan then he’s got one that he happened to throw a right hand and he caught Aljamain Sterling.

“Was it an early stoppage? Yeah, I’m not here to complain. What I’m saying is he hasn’t been through the trenches against really tough guys and I do believe ‘Chito,’ if he can just do the same gameplan as he did his last fight and take out his legs, it’ll be the exact same outcome.”

TOP STORIES

Sequel. Sean O’Malley on Chito Vera rematch: ‘I’m going to smoke this dude’

Rivals. Jorge Masvidal vows he’s going to knock rest of Colby Covington’s ‘f****** teeth out’

Wonderboy. Stephen Thompson: UFC has ‘settled everything’ from cancelled fight at UFC 291

Bushido. UFC 295 headliner Jiri Prochazka addresses Jamahal Hill drama: ‘Please, be honest with yourself’

Odds. Sean O’Malley, Alexander Volkanovski, Dricus du Plessis open as betting favorites in upcoming title fights

Legals. Jorge Masvidal pleads guilty to misdemeanor battery but avoids jail time over Colby Covington assault

VIDEO STEW

The MMA Hour.

UFC 295 Embedded.

Prochazka vs. Pereira preview.

Free fight.

Powerhouse Playback: Robbins vs. Jacobson.

LISTEN UP

On To the Next One. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alex K. Lee discuss the matches to make after UFC Sao Paulo.

MORNING MUSIC

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

New fight thoughts.

Interesting development.

Back at it.

On this day.

A champion’s arrival.

Might as well rebook it now.

Vicious.

Oh boy.

Belter.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mateusz Rebecki (17-1) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (10-3, 1 NC); UFC 295, Nov. 11

Si Woo Park (10-5) vs. Anggie “Harley Quinn” Madagie (3-1); Deep 117 Impact, Dec. 10

Farid Basharat (11-0) vs. Taylor Lapilus (19-3); UFC Vegas 83, Jan. 13

Sean Strickland (28-5) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (20-2); UFC 297, Jan. 20

Thomas Petersen (8-1) vs. Jamal Pogues (10-4); UFC Fight Night, Feb. 3

Alexander Volkanovski (26-3) vs. Ilia Topuria (14-0); UFC 298, February 2024

Sean O’Malley (17-1, 1 NC) vs. Marlon Vera (23-8-1); UFC 299, March 2024

FINAL THOUGHTS

Even though it’s not the right matchup to make, the O’Malley vs. Vera rematch is a compelling one.

Thanks for reading!

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.



from MMA Fighting - All Posts https://ift.tt/Pvk9sow
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