Sean O’Malley needed a end at UFC 299, however he can’t be that disillusioned after placing on a clinic for 5 rounds, hitting Chito Vera with every part and the kitchen sink.
O’Malley was surprised at Vera’s skill to soak up punishment, which included one of many nastiest knee strikes within the historical past of the UFC. With simply over a minute remaining within the second spherical, he threw a knee on the similar second that Vera ducked his head down, and the influence appeared like Aaron Decide rocketing a baseball out of Yankee Stadium.
Replays confirmed O’Malley’s knee landed flush, however by some means Vera took the shot and simply stored coming. In that second, O’Malley admits the reverberation of his knee bouncing off Vera’s face made him really feel just a little sick to his abdomen.
“I might love know if I broke one thing in his face with that knee,” O’Malley mentioned on The MMA Hour. “It was the loudest pop I’ve ever heard hitting somebody. It was truly a disgusting feeling. It was gross. I might like to see an image of his face right this moment.”
Vera posted a statement on social media, however he hasn’t proven off any pictures exhibiting the aftermath of his combat with O’Malley this previous Saturday night time. Earlier than he left the cage, Vera spoke to UFC shade commentator Joe Rogan, and his face was already swelling up with a number of cuts and bruises from the battering that O’Malley delivered.
As a lot because it pained him to listen to the sound of that knee strike crunching towards Vera’s head, O’Malley is aware of it’s all a part of the job, and it’s what they join when competing within the UFC.
“Main up, I used to be simply so excited to get my fingers on him, to beat his ass,” O’Malley mentioned. “It’s a bizarre factor. You then hear somebody like Dustin Poirier speaking about how unhealthy he was feeling, [how] down within the dumps he was, from after that Justin Gaethje combat. I’m positive Chito’s coping with some s*** proper now; I doubt he would disagree. I’m positive he’s not having a good time.
“So there’s part of me that feels unhealthy for him, and I clearly precipitated that, but it surely’s the combat sport.”
Regardless of the narrative that surrounded the combat – O’Malley looking for vengeance for the one loss on his file – the reigning UFC bantamweight champion mentioned that by no means actually fueled him going into the rematch.
“Nobody on the planet seems to be at that as a win [for ‘Chito’],” O’Malley mentioned. “They formally overturned it, The ‘Suga’ State Athletic Fee, legally overturned it. If anybody seems to be at that as a win, they’re delusional.
“I’ve by no means misplaced and felt like I misplaced the place it was miserable. That first combat I fought Chito, and that occurred the way in which it occurred, it was a fluke in my thoughts. I knew I used to be higher than him. I knew I used to be. I simply knew ultimately sometime I’d show it. So I by no means let that combat trouble me ever. I clearly needed to go on the market and show it. 50-44 at one level from one of many judges.”
O’Malley positively backed up his perception with a lopsided win over Vera. However even with that lone blemish on his resume now successfully erased, he nonetheless feels there’s extra work to do to get respect from his friends.
He already confronted criticism after successful the title with a second-round knockout after former champion Aljamain Sterling made an extremely fast turnaround to face him this previous August.
Now, O’Malley expects to listen to all about how Vera didn’t deserve the title shot within the first place. and he must beat a extra legit contender to solidify himself as champion. In an odd method, he may truly agree with that evaluation.
“I feel we might all agree Chito bought gifted that title shot,” O’Malley mentioned. “I requested for it. I consider I deserved to have the ability to ask for it after performing and doing what I did towards Aljo. So I requested for the Chito combat, I bought the Chito combat, however he bought gifted that.
“I feel I’ve nonetheless bought to go on the market and show to the haters and the doubters, that I can beat somebody like Merab [Dvalishvili] or Ilia [Topuria] or Cory [Sandhagen], or whoever’s subsequent.”
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