Chito Vera, after losing to Sean O’Malley at UFC 299, has expressed hope for a trilogy fight and accused O’Malley of being excessively greasy during their bout, which he believes may have affected the outcome.
Chito Vera’s got his sights set on a trilogy fight with Sean O’Malley. The aftermath of their bout at UFC 299 left a sour taste in his mouth.
Just a few days post their bantamweight title fight, Chito fired off a tweet. He accused O’Malley of being greased up “to the bone” during their fight.
His tweet read, “Who braid your hair @SugaSeanMMA you where grease to the bone I wonder how much gel they use?”
When asked about the tweet, Vera elaborated on his accusations. He’s had his hair braided before, and he knows how much gel is typically used.
He recalled his hair being done before the Frankie Edgar fight at UFC 268. The UFC stylist used just a bit of water, no gel. After that fight, he was dry.
But with O’Malley, it was like trying to hold onto a slippery fish. Vera felt O’Malley’s hair was excessively greasy. He even suggested that this might have affected his performance during the fight.
He remembered a moment when he had O’Malley in a hold. His knee slipped because of the greasiness. He speculated that if O’Malley’s hair had been dry, he might have landed a more damaging blow.
Vera also pointed out O’Malley’s post-fight appearance. His face was shiny, which Vera found suspicious. He’s been in 23 UFC fights and knows that post-fight, there’s no Vaseline left.
O’Malley, of course, saw Vera’s tweet and responded.
After a loss to Jose Aldo in 2020, Vera’s been on a winning streak. He’s won four straight bouts and is 5-2 in his last seven fights. He’s become a fan favorite and hopes his recent success could lead to a third fight with O’Malley.
For now, Vera’s eager to return to the octagon. He’s eyeing the UFC’s annual event at Madison Square Garden.
Vera acknowledged his 1-1 record with O’Malley. He won the first fight, O’Malley took the second. He felt O’Malley’s knee strike was more about the sound than the damage. The fifth-round punch was what really hurt him.
Vera’s confident about getting his revenge eventually. He’s keen to fight in New York, a city he loves and feels a connection to. He’s hopeful about getting on that card and believes he’s in a good position to negotiate. He’s not too demanding, he says, but after a fight like that, he feels he deserves what he wants.