Sean O’Malley believes Marlon Vera didn’t want to fight him.

In the co-main event of UFC 252, O’Malley is set for his toughest test to date when he battles the 14-fight UFC veteran in Vera. So, for “Suga” he says this fight just made sense. He actually told BJPENN.com following his win over Eddie Wineland he wanted it.

“Yeah, I thought it made sense for the UFC, too,” Sean O’Malley said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “They look at his last fight as a win, which gives him six in a row with five finishes and I’m coming off a good win. So, I thought it was a perfect fight and I figured they’d give me him.”

Although they were scheduled to fight back at UFC 239, O’Malley says this time around the fight was supposed to take place in July. Yet, the rising star says Vera didn’t want to sign the contract and the UFC forced him to sign.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”620147″ player=”20625″ title=”Just Scrap Radio Ep . 6 (w dos Santos O&#39Malley Rozenstruik Vera)” duration=”4491″ description=”In the sixth episode of Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com, host Cole Shelton talks to former UFC heavyweight Junior dos Santos to preview his scrap against Jair…” uploaddate=”2020-08-06 17:49:21″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/15717/thumb/620147_t_1596736278.png” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/15717/sd/620147.mp4″”]

“I wanted to fight in July. August just happened, I was ready to fight. After the fight if I have no injuries and if the opponent is right, there is no reason to wait,” he explained. “But, they had to force Chito to sign the contract.”

Entering this fight, Sean O’Malley is a sizeable favorite and understands why. He knows Marlon Vera is a dangerous opponent but is confident in his skill set to get his hand raised.

“He is a dangerous opponent and a really good black belt in jiu-jitsu has some TKO wins. A bunch of stoppages and has never been finished so that will be sweet for me to finish him for the first time,” O’Malley said. “It is in the smaller cage so I was thinking that is a disadvantage. But, the more I think about it will be a disadvantage for him. It doesn’t really matter what we fight in. I don’t see him being able to connect any punches or get ahold of me. It won’t be a fun fight for him.”

For O’Malley, not only does he expect to get his hand raised, but he believes he will be the first person to finish Marlon Vera and plans to do so in the first round.

“Vera is tough and can take some shots and a lot of the fights I was watching he was taking fights on the side of the head or the top, not the chin,” Sean O’Malley said. “I hit people right on the chin. So, yeah I see another first-round knockout. But, I’ll be ready for 15 minutes. I think this will be a sweet fight for me to get a lot of highlights. I think I will be able to bust him up for a little while.

“If it plays out the way I want it to, I’ll get an early knockout,” he later added.

Yet, many pundits including O’Malley, believe Vera will try and take Suga down. But, for the rising star, he welcomes it as he is confident he could submit Chito.

“Chito is a black belt and follows jiu-jitsu, he has to assume my jiu-jitsu is decent. Whatever he assumes my jiu-jitsu is, it is better than that. It is a secret weapon. If he takes a shot on me and it is not a good shot and his head isn’t where it is supposed to be he is getting choked 100 percent,” Sean O’Malley said. “If he does take me down, we will see how that plays out. I’m very confident in my wrestling, my jiu-jitsu, I’m very confident to get back up off my back. Anywhere the fight goes I can get a finish.”

Ultimately, Sean O’Malley is confident he will get another stoppage win and hopes for another quick turnaround and possibly be the main event in a fight or two.

“Hopefully October 10. Bust up Chito, get out of there healthy and fight October 10 would be ideal. I think a couple of more wins and then I’m the main event,” he concluded.

Do you think Sean O’Malley will finish Marlon Vera?