Sean O’Mally dyes hair with Ecuador colors, Marlon Vera not impressed
Marlon Vera is not offended that his next opponent is repping his country’s colors if fact he is glad.
The 27-year old will face one of the UFC’s fastest rising stars.
Recently, O’Mally made headlines after dying his hair the same colors as the Ecuadorian flag, Vera’s home country.
“The truth is that the fans have always supported me, and it’s something very gratifying to my country that he dyed his hair those colors,” Vera said in Spanish on Monday’s episode of “Hablemos MMA.” “He already knows who’s going to dictate the fight.”
“He’s a guy that has talent,” Vera said. “He knows how to fight well. He has power in his hands. He has his style, but let’s be honest, people want to make that fight was his breakout moment, a fight that put him the highest. But the casual fans forget that Eddie Wineland was knocked out the same way by Johnny Eduardo. It was a very similar knockout.
Despite all the attention O’Malley is getting, Vera is not buying into the hype and sees O’Malley as just another opponent.
“The people who don’t study the UFC that much that are only fans at night; obviously they’re going to think he’s the best, and good for him because that gets him more money, gets him to the title quicker. But at the end of the day, Eddie Wineland was knocked out like that a few years ago, so Eddie Wineland bout in my opinion doesn’t count.”
“I always think that the next fight is the biggest of my career no matter who it is,” Vera explained. “In its time, it was (John) Lineker. In its time, it was (Brad) Pickett. In its time, it was (Brian) Kelleher, who was coming off a win against someone in the rankings.
“If the fighter has fame or not, that doesn’t make the fight for me. Every fight is the most important. It’s big, but just like any other fight. There’s nothing special about it. What’s special is that I’m ready, and I know I have the weapons to put this guy away.”
UFC 252 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
