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Marlon Vera took a tough title fight defeat to Sean O’Malley but is hoping to get back into the ring rather soon. When talking about potential matchups, he made sure to get a small diss in at a former champion who allegedly doesn’t want to square off with him in the Octagon.
Vera was asked about what it would take to make a return “perfect” and he had pretty clear aspirations. He said, “In a perfect world, I want to fight in November, Madison Square Garden, and I would like to fight Petr Yan. I think that’s a no-brainer for the fans and the UFC.” Of course, the UFC hasn’t even confirmed if they will be heading to Madison Square Garden in 2024. Vera continued and mentioned that it’d be an easy one to promote considering the stakes. Unfortunately, Petr Yan wasn’t interested. Vera said, “He said that he wanted it too, [but] he declined [to fight me] before. We saw each other at my last fight, and he’s like, hey I want you next, and I said, what are you talking about, you declined twice, don’t be acting tough right now. He’s like, no it wasn’t a good time for me, well then shut the f*** up and f*** off.”
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Marlon Vera Caught Yan’s Attention Again
Yan has heard these comments and has been recovering from multiple injuries as of late. However, he’s looking to make a UFC return as well, with Vera a potential opponent. He openly stated that he’d take the fight against Vera, if possible, despite seemingly turning down the chance twice before. Then again, the injuries might have played a factor in him not taking this fight. Yan revealed that he suffered a meniscus tear, an ACL rupture, and a groin injury.
Yan hopes to get back into the Octagon near October or November. We have a long way to go before this fight can become a reality, though it looks like both fighters are willing.