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Sean O’Malley, with a record of 17-1-0, made an impressive statement by defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 and becoming the new UFC bantamweight champion. Now, the odds are in favor of a rematch between O’Malley and Chito Vera for his next opponent. Oddsmakers are not confident in an immediate rematch against Sterling, as he currently has the third-best odds.
O’Malley’s victory over Sterling solidified his position as the best bantamweight in the UFC. As the reigning champion, he is expected to defend his title against Marlon “Chito” Vera in a highly-anticipated rematch. Vera currently has even odds to be O’Malley’s next opponent. Following Vera, Merab Dvalishvili has the next best odds to take on O’Malley.
O’Malley’s underdog status against Sterling, with odds of +220, proved doubters wrong when he delivered a powerful right hand to secure the bantamweight title in the second round. Sterling, with a record of 23-3-0, was coming off a win against Henry Cejudo before his defeat to O’Malley. Despite leading after the first round, Sterling’s aggressive strategy left him vulnerable to O’Malley’s counter.
While judges gave Sterling the nod in the opening round, O’Malley’s decisive victory in the second round left no doubt about his dominance. Winning the fight before the judges could potentially influence the outcome is an important strategy for any fighter. The stoppage by referee Marc Goddard during O’Malley’s onslaught of punches on Sterling drew criticism from Georgian fighter Merab Dvalishvili, a friend and teammate of Sterling. Dvalishvili hopes to avenge his teammate’s loss and disagrees with Goddard’s decision.
Between the possibility of a rematch against Vera and Dvalishvili’s desire for a fight, O’Malley is focused on his rematch against Vera. Following his loss to Vera in 2022, O’Malley wants another shot at redemption. He confidently stated that he will defeat Vera in December at UFC 296. Although a potential matchup between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler was in the cards, it is now uncertain, creating an opportunity for O’Malley. Regardless of his next opponent, it is likely that Dvalishvili will have his chance at the bantamweight title in the future.
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