Chito Vera is optimistic about the prospect of a trilogy showdown with Sean O’Malley following his defeat to the champion at UFC 299, although certain moments from their second encounter left a sour taste in his mouth.
Just days after their bantamweight title clash earlier this month, Vera took to Twitter to accuse O’Malley of being excessively greased throughout their bout, a claim that stirred controversy in the MMA community.
Who braid your hair @SugaSeanMMA you where grease to the bone I wonder how much gel they use ?
— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) March 13, 2024
When questioned about the reasoning behind his tweet, Vera delved deeper into his sentiments during an appearance on The MMA Hour, shedding light on his perspective.
“I’ve braided my hair in the past, and if you braid it in a normal salon, they put an extremely big amount of pomade gel, whatever they use, to make it nice and tight. “When the UFC lady did my hair before the Frankie Edgar [fight at UFC 268], which is the main person that does everybody, she didn’t use nothing. She just went [with] a little bit of water. And when I finished the fight with Frankie, I was dry.
“Every time I was grabbing Sean, he was like grabbing a fish out of the water. It was just like, voom. And maybe he didn’t attempt to [cheat], but he was extremely greasy on his hair. And that’s why when I hurt him at the end of the round, I grabbed his head, the knee [slipped], all my knees [that slipped by] were really close. Maybe if it would’ve been dry, I could’ve hurt him. Maybe not. I’m still where I am for a reason — I lost the fight, and I’m not going to find [an] excuse, but matter of fact, his head was extremely greasy.
“Even if you see the post-fight interviews … his face was shiny, and after a fight, the Vasoline is over. It’s really over. I’ve been in, what, 23 fights inside the UFC? Once you get out of the cage, after you sweat it out, there’s no Vasoline. He was really shiny, and that can be something.”
Reflecting on the aftermath of his tweet, Vera’s comments didn’t go unnoticed by O’Malley, who promptly responded to the allegations.
Send pic of your face https://t.co/vWZZVe2Nfo
— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) March 13, 2024
Despite the setback against Jose Aldo in December 2020, Vera rebounded impressively with four consecutive victories, amassing a 5-2 record in his last seven fights. With a solid fan base behind him, Vera remains hopeful that his recent performances, coupled with additional wins, could potentially pave the way for a third encounter with Sean O’Malley.
In the meantime, Vera eagerly anticipates his return to the octagon and has set his sights on competing at the UFC’s annual event at Madison Square Garden.
“Now we’re 1-1. I stopped him in [the first fight], he won a decision. I mean, he landed that big knee, that I believe that it was more the sound than actually the damage. The fifth-round punch was the one that really hurt me, because it [affected] my vision, but it’s pretty much those two against my body shot, and I said f*** it. If we’re fighting [until] death, the O’Malley family [would be] having a funeral right now.
“But it’s professional. Good for him. … I will eventually get revenge, and now let’s see what’s available now. I’m aiming, I would love to fight in New York. I love New York, I think that’s my city, I feel I’m native from Queens, so hopefully I get to get on that card. I’m sure I’m in a good spot. I can pretty much tell Hunter [Campbell] whatever I want, and I feel after a fight like that, they give you [what you want] because, you know, I’m not too needy.”
