UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera trashed past opponent Sean O’Malley, calling him a “made in China” version of Conor McGregor.
Vera and O’Malley have a heated rivalry dating back to their bout at UFC 252 in August. O’Malley talked a big game heading into that fight, but Vera proved to be the superior mixed martial artist that night as he finished O’Malley by first-round TKO. O’Malley suffered an injury during the fight and since then he has said that he doesn’t really consider it a loss and believes he is still undefeated. Because of the injury, some fans and media have suggested this could be a fight that the UFC runs back sometime.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Vera was asked if he would like a rematch with O’Malley. The Ecuador native said that while he never turns down fights the UFC offers him, he also believes that O’Malley isn’t a big-money fight for him. Although O’Malley wants to be like McGregor, Vera says, he’s nothing more than a “China version of McGregor.”
“Let’s be real. There is no big money in the rematch. First thing, he’s not Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor or Nate Diaz, that’s money. Whoever fights Conor McGregor, that’s money. O’Malley is just a lower version of Conor McGregor. He’s a China version of him. He’s made in China. He’s fake. He’s not the same,” Vera said.
“There’s only one Conor McGregor. There’s only one Chito Vera. There’s only one Jose Aldo. Once you try to be someone else, you will never be yourself and you will never be able to become what you want to be. If you ask me, there’s no money in a rematch. I won’t get paid any more money if I fight his ass. Don’t get me wrong. Dana White told me, ‘You never refuse a fight.’ They know I never refuse a fight. So if they come with a date to fight him or someone else, I’ll take it. I like to make money.”
Always the trash talker, Vera also had a few choice words for O’Malley and his refusal to consider their bout at UFC 252 a true loss.
“The guy is a cry baby. He’s a little b*tch. He’s a bitch once, you’re going to be a bitch forever. I don’t care about the guy. He was talking all of this crap. If you can’t back it up, you better change your game,” Vera said.
Do you think Marlon Vera is right that Sean O’Malley is just a lesser version of Conor McGregor?