UFC 299 is almost approaching, and what a thrilling evening of combat is in store. The event may be among the greatest of the year because of the incredible bouts that are scheduled one after the other. The main attraction of the event is definitely Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera, who will square off for the second time.
Sean O’Malley has only one loss in his UFC. He has only ever suffered one defeat in his mixed martial arts career, and that defeat is hotly contested. O’Malley faced a setback against Marlon Vera.
However, Sean believes that he is ‘unbeaten’ due to the controversial nature of the match. Their paths have diverged since their first encounter. However, the two will now square off against one another once again for the undisputed bantamweight title at stake.
The initial clash between O’Malley and Vera unfolded at UFC 252, marking a turning point in both competitors’ careers. O’Malley had only two matches under his belt. On the other hand, Vera is a seasoned veteran with six years in the promotion.
Recently, O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch talked about the details in a YouTube video. He provided information regarding the first matchup between the two.
During the match, a moment occurred when a kick from Vera targeted O’Malley’s peroneal nerve. Compounded by tightly wrapped ankles, this incident had lasting consequences. Coach Welch reflects on the oversight, admitting that last-minute adjustments to the ankle wraps played a pivotal role in the loss.
He said: “I gotta take a lot of the blame on this. One of the UFC people wrapped his ankles, and a couple of times, Sugar usually never complains about anything, he said ‘this ankle wrap is too tight’.”
Welch disclosed that he had them trim the wraps slightly on the sides. They had very little opportunity to really try out the wraps, since this was done at the last minute.
Welch continued: “I just feel like that was a lot my fault, a lot my fault for not saying, ‘Hey, let’s wait, we have to redo these wraps. But, lesson learned, every single fight we’ve had, we’ve learned a little something”
Tim believes he ought to have had the wraps changed since they were a major factor in Vera’s defeat. Welch feels that the tight wraps stopped blood from reaching Sean’s ankle when he was tagged, which led to a dead leg and eventually lost O’Malley the matchup.
Before the rematch, Sean O’Malley went through recovery from a potentially career-ending surgery. After sustaining a similar injury in his last encounter with Andre Soukhamthath, O’Malley had to essentially spar on one leg.
Speculation arises regarding the outcome of the first bout had O’Malley’s leg not been compromised. O’Malley was completely engaged in the match, and some may even say that he was winning it until his leg began to give up. Sean and Tim Welch had studied Vera well before the bout, so nothing about him shocked them.
With the rematch on the horizon and no injury concerns, O’Malley and Welch are poised to make a compelling case. The duo believes they have the skills and preparation to overcome Vera. The clash of these bantamweight titans will undoubtedly be a highlight, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.