Marlon Vera, a UFC bantamweight fighter, believes that Sean O’Malley could potentially stop Merab Dvalishvili early in their upcoming fight at the Sphere.
O’Malley, the current 135-pound champion, is preparing for his second title defense after defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 last August. He recently showcased his dominance by outpointing “Chito” at UFC 299 in Miami.
While Vera is set to face Deiveson Figueiredo this Saturday in Abu Dhabi, O’Malley is scheduled to defend his title against Dvalishvili at UFC 306/Noche UFC.
In the upcoming fight, Vera believes that if O’Malley lands an early shot on Dvalishvili, he has a good chance of finishing the fight quickly.
Vera: O’Malley Could Finish Dvalishvili ‘If He Catches Him Early’
Speaking at a media day event ahead of the UFC Fight Night, Vera expressed his thoughts on his upcoming fight and the title bout in the 135-pound division.
He praised O’Malley and expressed doubts about Dvalishvili’s durability, referencing a previous knockdown he suffered against Henry Cejudo as a sign of vulnerability to being knocked out.
“(O’Malley’s) a great fighter. I would be more worried about Merab’s chin,” Vera said. “He’s been dropped by everybody. I mean, if you get dropped by Henry Cejudo, good lord. F*ck, that’s a f*cking four-foot motherf*cker right there. If he (O’Malley) catches him early, the fight could be over.”
O’Malley also predicts a definitive victory over Dvalishvili, aiming to make a statement with his second successful title defense in Las Vegas this fall.
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