UFC Bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley looking to defend title against no 5 ranked Marlon Vera
Sean O’Malley (17-1 1NC, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) seeks vengeance over Vera
UFC bantamweight champion
12 wins by knockout
Nine first round finishes
No. 7 men’s pound-for-pound
Sean O’Malley (17-1 1NC, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) seeks vengeance over Vera
UFC bantamweight champion
12 wins by knockout
Nine first round finishes
No. 7 men’s pound-for-pound
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00 What's up guys?
00:05 I'm Sean, welcome to Miami. Pretty in pink this week. Talk to us about the custom shorts and how that came to be.
00:11 Yeah, I shot over a little favor and it got granted. I feel like it just makes sense. Pink shorts, Miami, the Sugar Show.
00:23 Was this fight with Chito always going to happen as your first title defense? Just with the backstory, the way the first fight went, and the dynamics between you two?
00:32 Ideally it was going to play out like that, but it was never guaranteed. He had to go out there and do his thing. He beat Pedro, same night I knocked out Aljo, and the stars aligned.
00:45 I think the first fight is an interesting one, because of the way it ended. Do you think that fight should count and can it offer you anything tactically?
00:53 Or is it just like, "Hey, that happened, it was a weird one, this is the real fight, this is five rounds, this is how it's actually going to be looked at"?
00:59 Yeah, that fight never necessarily bothered me. Look where I'm at now. That fight plays out a different way. I win that fight.
01:09 Maybe the next fight I fight somebody that I wasn't ready for, and I lose, my career completely plays out different.
01:15 I go out there and knocked out Thomas Almeida seven times, and it was a beautiful performance.
01:22 I'm grateful for everything that's happened, and that fight's never really bothered me. But I am excited to go out there and do what I was about to do in that first fight.
01:33 You obviously shone out against Al Jumain, got the highlight reel KO, they put it online for free for everyone to watch.
01:39 Do you anticipate you can do something similar here against Chido with his style?
01:43 I think I could do that to anybody. But every time I get in there, that's not necessarily like, "Alright, I've got to find the knockout, I've got to find the knockout."
01:52 I'm just going in there to win, and that just happens a lot.
01:58 Outside of your own sport, there's a guy called Ryan Garcia calling you out. He's also saying a lot of pretty wacky stuff online.
02:05 I'm not sure what exactly is going on with him. What do you make of his recent Twitter fingers and his attitude towards you?
02:11 Cocaine's a hell of a drug. I think he's on drugs, and he's acting a fool. I feel bad for him more than anything.
02:23 I know you want this superstar route, right? The MMA boxing crossover always comes up when it talks about superstars and MMA.
02:31 But for a boxer to actually come to MMA, that would be a new look at that.
02:34 Does that interest you, or do you think he's just talking a little bit out of character and probably won't be meaning what he says?
02:40 Cocaine's a hell of a drug. That will never happen. And if it does, I'm here for it.
02:47 It wouldn't be my fault that fight doesn't happen. But realistically, that will never happen.
02:54 Obviously a lot of the narrative since your last fight, especially in Chido's fights, is that Chido starts slow.
03:00 It takes him a while to get going, and then he gets these late stoppages or anything like that.
03:04 Do you agree with that assessment, or when you're watching Chido fight, is there just something different about him?
03:09 Is he collecting data, as they say?
03:12 I think him starting slow is why he's able to finish guys later. He's conserving his energy.
03:19 Everyone has different styles, and that's kind of his style.
03:26 Talk to me about the pink shorts. How did those come about?
03:29 You wanted them, and not everyone gets their custom shorts so close to fight week.
03:35 I did a crazy thing going out there knocking out Aljamee Sterling.
03:38 All I asked for was, "Can I get some pink shorts?" And they made it happen.
03:42 Your Jiu-Jitsu coach, Augusto, was on a podcast earlier, and he said that he wouldn't mind grappling Murab.
03:49 What do you think of those words, and how do you think he'd do?
03:52 I think Murab would last a couple minutes, maybe.
03:56 Tenquinha would sub him fairly quickly.
04:00 Speaking of Murab, he's supposed to be the backup for this fight. If Chido doesn't make it, are you willing to fight him?
04:09 100%.
04:11 Talk to me about what a win over Chido would do for your career.
04:16 That's your only official loss, and we see some of the greats like GSP, Avenger losses, and stuff like that.
04:21 What would it do to your legacy to get that one back?
04:24 I don't know. It doesn't feel like it's there in the first place.
04:31 This, to me, is just another fight. It really is.
04:35 You've gone back and forth a bit on social media with Ilya Topuria.
04:40 What did you make of his knockout win over Volkanovskiy, and is that a fight you could see down the line?
04:46 Beautiful performance. I was there live.
04:49 It was a cool moment. Ilya's a scary little dude, so that fight excites me.
04:57 I would definitely like to get that fight eventually.
05:00 Obviously, that would involve you moving up to 145.
05:03 Yeah, I would move up to 145 for that, but I'm a Bantamweight for the next couple of years.
05:09 If I did do that, I would just go up there and knock him out real quick and head back down.
05:14 Now that you're about to go on to your first title defense, how do you envision your title reign going like in the UFC?
05:21 Forever. I don't know. I'm just going with the flow right now.
05:26 I learned first-hand when I fought Chito the first time that anything can happen.
05:30 I always knew that, but nothing ever happened to me to where it was real.
05:35 Anything can happen. I'm not looking past him.
05:38 But for fun, you want to say what happens in the next five, ten years, I'd love to never lose.
05:44 It's going with the flow.
05:47 Last time out in Boston, the crowd was strongly in your favor.
05:50 This time out here in Miami, we know there's a huge Hispanic presence.
05:54 How do you think the crowd will split on Saturday night?
05:56 That's a good question. I guess we'll have to wait and find out. I think it'll be fairly even.
06:02 Do you see a world where you and Chito become friends after all this is settled?
06:06 I'm not really running low on friends. I've got a nice tight circle.
06:13 In another world, we probably would have been buds.
06:17 But we're in this world. He thinks I'm great. We're not buds.
06:22 What did you make of Marab's performance? Do you feel like he is going to be the guy that's next for you?
06:30 Yeah. Again, he had a great performance too.
06:33 Henry didn't look great by any means, but Marab did what he does.
06:38 He almost gets knocked out and then wins.
06:41 It was impressive. Very well could be next. I like having my options open.
06:48 But yeah, he could be.
06:51 I think a lot of people think he might be one of the more difficult, stylistic matchups for you in the division.
06:55 Do you agree with that or do you think maybe you don't get enough credit in the grappling department?
07:00 I thought Aljomain Sterling was the hardest matchup for me in the division.
07:03 He put his lights out in two rounds.
07:06 I think Marab is definitely up there. Everybody in the top ten is a challenge.
07:12 No one is an easy fight. Chito is not an easy fight.
07:15 Marab is a tough fight. Chito is a tough fight. Elia is a tough fight.
07:19 They're all tough fights.
07:22 Hi, Sean. Over here.
07:24 Usually when fighters refer to each other during fight week, they leave the trash talk behind.
07:30 With that said, will you share with us your honest opinion about Chito?
07:35 We talked in the DMs a little bit on Instagram. Have you guys had him up here yet?
07:38 Ask him what we talked about. See what he says.
07:41 Do you care to share a prediction for the fight?
07:44 Sleep in this, man.
07:46 Here.
07:51 Sean, you usually don't recognize Chito's style and level.
07:56 However, what got your attention in the fighting he had with Rob Hon and Dominic Cruz,
08:03 what do you think you have to take care of in your second fight against Chito?
08:09 I think I understood that.
08:13 Yeah, he gets – Rob was kind of piecing him up.
08:17 Chito was landing the bigger shots and doing way more damage.
08:20 Dominic Cruz was piecing him up until he got kicked in the lips.
08:23 So I just – he's durable. He's very, very tough.
08:27 He's never been dropped. He's never been subbed. He's never been knocked out.
08:31 So I take that away from those fights. He's just very tough.
08:36 If Chito wins you this Saturday in the Casillas Center, would you recognize the 2-0?
08:44 The what? The syrup?
08:46 2-0.
08:47 Oh, 2-0.
08:49 No, if he were to beat me, he would beat me once.
08:53 That's true. Simple.
08:56 Thank you.
08:57 Sean, over here. Greetings from Ecuador.
09:00 A lot of people in my country hate you because you put our flag's color in your hair last time.
09:05 Karma.
09:06 Would you do it again?
09:07 No, that was karma. That's why my fucking nerve got kicked.
09:10 I was like, goddammit. I knew I shouldn't have done that.
09:13 Yeah, so –
09:15 So another question. It seems like you are watching just in the future.
09:21 You are talking about Ryan Garcia. You are talking about Ila Tapuria.
09:24 But you haven't won this fight yet. What happens if you lose this Saturday?
09:29 Then I don't get those fights. I've been saying it all week.
09:33 I don't care to talk about that stuff right now. I'm focused on Chito.
09:36 If I don't go beat Chito, none of those fights happen. So I'm focused on Chito.
09:40 I understand you don't appreciate Chito very much. But what's the most dangerous thing about him?
09:46 His durability. He's hard to put away.
09:50 If you can't put him away, you better be able to go for 25 minutes.
09:53 So I'm planning on a 25-minute war.
09:55 Thank you so much.
09:57 Sean, will you fight Aljermaine Sterling again, likely or not likely?
10:04 Very unlikely.
10:06 What were your thoughts on Henry Cejudo not retiring after a while?
10:11 I don't want to kick him when he's down. He's not doing too good.
10:17 He didn't look good at all.
10:21 I don't know. I wouldn't recommend it.
10:27 But it's his life to choose what he does with it.
10:32 Do you feel like you getting the pink shorts will create a catalyst for the other champions to get shorts they want?
10:42 Possibly. I don't see why not. I don't think it's just the color of the shorts.
10:48 I think champs should get whatever the champs want. Maybe you start a little trend.
10:53 How do you feel having to defend your title against an opponent that previously beat you, knowing that the first time you were injured?
11:04 You are ready for this rematch?
11:06 Yeah, I've been ready for it.
11:09 Everyone after that fight said, "You've got to get that rematch. You've got to get that rematch."
11:12 I said, "It'll happen when it's supposed to happen. That fight will come together if it's supposed to."
11:17 I never lost sleep over that fight. I never thought, "I've got to get that one back. That just stings me."
11:22 It happened. My career has played out beautifully. Here we are. I'm ready for the rematch.
11:28 Have you talked to Chido before this fight?
11:32 Oh yeah, I did. We talked in the DMs. He's a good family man. Just ask him what we talked about. See if he tells you guys.
11:40 Yep, see you guys.
11:42 - Very good.
11:43 [BLANK_AUDIO]