Chito Vera issues statement after loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 299
Marlon Vera is taking his loss on the chin.
On Saturday, “Chito” fell short in his bid for UFC gold, losing a lopsided decision to Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 299. In the aftermath, Vera was too busted up to speak to reporters and instead had to be transported to the hospital, so fans did not get much of his reaction to the loss. Now they have.
On Sunday night, Vera went on his social media, giving his perspective on the loss and thanking his fans and particularly the country of Ecuador for their support, promising to return and finish the job in the future.
“I dream about last night my whole life and fell short at the end of the day. I will be back thanks to my family and team for being by my side.
“The love of Ecuador was felt more than ever. Thanks for supporting me that way I will be back stronger. The belt will be mine one day. Thank you [Ecuador].”
Vera also posted a similar message on his Twitter.
No voy a mentir me duelo no haber logrado la meta pero el apoyo y amor del país fue algo histórico no saben la motivación y ganas que tengo de seguir y volver a escalar, gracias Ecuador se hicieron sentir y me volveré a parar
— C H T O V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) March 10, 2024
“I’m not going to lie, it hurts not achieving the goal, but the love and support from my country was something historic,” Vera said. “You don’t understand the motivation and ambition I have to continue climbing. Thank you Ecuador, your presence was felt and I will bounce back.”
Vera and O’Malley have a long history as rivals, dating back to Vera’s win over the bantamweight champion back in 2020. Chito was unable to replicate that success in this fight though as O’Malley out-landed him 230 to 89 significant strikes, working Vera over for the majority of the 25 minutes bout.
Vera is now 15-10 in his UFC career.