Marlon Vera, after losing a UFC match to Sean O’Malley, thanked his fans and the country of Ecuador for their support and promised to return stronger and eventually win the belt.
Marlon Vera’s taking his recent defeat in stride.
Saturday wasn’t his day. He was vying for the UFC gold, but Sean O’Malley got the better of him at UFC 299. It was a one-sided affair.
Post-match, Vera was in no condition to chat with the press. He had to be rushed to the hospital. Fans didn’t get much of his immediate reaction.
But now, they have.
Come Sunday night, Vera took to social media. He shared his thoughts on the loss. He thanked his fans and, in particular, his home country, Ecuador. He vowed to come back and finish what he started.
“I dream about last night my whole life and fell short at the end of the day. I will be back thanks to my family and team for being by my side,” he wrote.
“The love of Ecuador was felt more than ever. Thanks for supporting me that way I will be back stronger. The belt will be mine one day. Thank you [Ecuador].”
Vera echoed the same sentiment on Twitter.
“No voy a mentir me duelo no haber logrado la meta pero el apoyo y amor del país fue algo histórico no saben la motivación y ganas que tengo de seguir y volver a escalar, gracias Ecuador se hicieron sentir y me volveré a parar,” he tweeted.
Translation? “I’m not going to lie, it hurts not achieving the goal, but the love and support from my country was something historic,” Vera said. “You don’t understand the motivation and ambition I have to continue climbing. Thank you Ecuador, your presence was felt and I will bounce back.”
Vera and O’Malley have a history. Their rivalry dates back to 2020 when Vera won over the bantamweight champion. This time, however, O’Malley had the upper hand. He out-landed Vera 230 to 89 significant strikes, dominating most of the 25-minute bout.
Vera’s UFC career record now stands at 15-10.
So, what’s next? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure – Vera’s not done yet.