Marlon Vera made sure the so-called "Suga Show" was over before it even started.
Vera, 27, scored a dramatic first-round stoppage over O'Malley in the co-main event of UFC 252 in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
O'Malley entered the Octagon at UFC Apex the star of the show in just about everyone's eyes, except Vera's.
But after a solid start, O'Malley appeared to suffer an injury to his right leg that aided the Ecuadorian in his quest to spoil the UFC's plans to turn O'Malley into its next star.
That was the plan.
How else might one explain that it was only O'Malley's fifth UFC fight, yet the 25-year-old bantamweight contender was already competing in the co-main event of one of the most important cards of the year?
But it might not be the plan now.
Right before the bell tolled on O'Malley's 12-fight undefeated streak to begin his career, Vera screamed in excitement over finally getting his hands on the brash striker.
"Let's go!" he screamed, as he pointed toward his opponent when the two fighters were announced by Bruce Buffer.
Vera had long been a contender in the 135-pound division, but he's never had the full force of the UFC's tremendous hype machine behind him in the same the way it was cranking over recent months for O'Malley.
Heck, Vera couldn't even count on getting a fair shake from judges sometimes.
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