The UFC's hottest prospect, Sean O'Malley, appears to have his next challenge set as the undefeated bantamweight is scheduled to face Marlon Vera at UFC 252 on Aug. 15.
O'Malley (12-0, 4-0 UFC) announced on his YouTube channel Saturday that he has signed the bout agreement, and Vera (15-6-1, 9-5 UFC) told ESPN's Ariel Helwani he also has signed.
It will be O'Malley's third fight in 2020 as he posted first-round finishes of Eddie Wineland on June 6 and Jose Quinonez on March 7.
"I'm in fight camp as of today," O'Malley said. "I'm looking to be champ next year."
O'Malley lost two years of his career before the Quinonez fight due to failed drug tests, which the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) ultimately ruled were consistent with unintentional use.
Vera had a five-fight win streak snapped by a controversial unanimous decision to Song Yadong on May 16.
The main event of UFC 252 will be the heavyweight trilogy bout between champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.
