Thrilling, fast-paced rounds and deadly TKOs were the highlights of UFC 299, which took place on March 9, 2024, in the city of Miami. Headlining the tournament was the rematch between Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera. The two had an earlier bout at UFC 252, where Vera defeated O’Malley via first-round TKO. After this defeat, O’Malley went on to claim other victories. He beat former champion Petr Yan and then went on to defeat Aljamain Sterling in August to become the new bantamweight champion.
Sean O’Malley Holds On To Belt
After gaining the title, O’Malley finally honored a rematch with Vera, and fans were not disappointed. The colorful champion scored a few early hits in the opening round against the challenger. He performed a step-in knee maneuver, but Vera escaped and responded with a flurry of blows that did not quite connect. O’Malley landed a stiff jab, followed by a few body shots. He stayed on top of his game, evading punches and jabs.
“Suga” came in with a spinning high kick in round two, but Vera responded with the same. He delivered a body shot and leg kick combo, but Vera retaliated with a leg kick. O’Malley continued to dominate this round with a knee to the face, jabs, and a couple of strikes that rocked Vera.
Round three saw O’Malley hammering Vera with punches and shots. He landed a straight blow to the face and several punches, but Vera reciprocated with a combo and a knee. O’Malley just kept on coming with hard punches and a missed high kick.
Sean O’Malley Final Round
Vera got off the defense in round four and landed a flying high kick. O’Malley continued with punishing blows, but Vera countered with strikes. O’Malley persisted with punishing blows and jabs that left Vera open.
The final round continued with more fatal strikes from O’Malley. A couple of hard punches and a kick saw Vera wobble. O’Malley followed with a hard knee. Vera kept throwing weak punches while eating the strikes being dealt by O’Malley. The punch-packed match finally ended with O’Malley victorious following a unanimous decision.
Sean O’Malley Post-Fight Reaction and Conference
The 18-1-0 record champion continues to show his beautiful fight skills in the cage with his precise striking and masterful punches. Although many don’t believe in him, he insists he is ready to prove them wrong. Speaking in an interview at the UFC, he said, “The greats understand how good I am, but the average people don’t understand how good I am. They will someday, but right now, they don’t.” When asked who he’d like to face next, O’Malley replied, “Dana, get me a jet to Spain, baby. I’m coming for Ilia Topuria.”
Other fights on the main card included Petr Yan, who rocked his opponent, Song Yadong, with deadly blows and punches. The two gave it their best, and the match ended with Yan victorious following a unanimous decision. Next up was the impressive KO of Gilbert Burns by Jack Della Maddelena in the welterweight category. The Michael Page vs. Kevin Holland bout was up next, and Page won this match after a unanimous decision. At the co-main event, lightweight category, Dustin Poirier faced off against Benoit Saint Dennis and floored his opponent with a TKO in 02:32 minutes into round two.
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Hannah Dare is a passionate lover of MMA. She enjoys watching UFC and EFC tournaments on the weekends. She loves books and movies. You can follow her on Instagram @kaboere. For more great content visit us on X @TotalApexSports.
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