MIAMI – And still.
Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley avenged his only career loss Saturday when he defeated longtime rival Marlon Vera in the UFC 299 main event at Kaseya Center. O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) battered Vera (21-9-1 MMA, 15-8 UFC) for five rounds to win a unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-44).
The environment was raucous with support for both fighters heard, though the chants of “Chito, Chito” were the loudest. O’Malley seemed unfazed, however, as he battered the lead leg of Vera and snuck punches through the Ecuadorian’s guard. With feints and light-on-his-feet footwork, O’Malley dictated the pace – a successful one for him in Round 1.
Round 2 was all O’Malley, who poured an onslaught of attack on Vera that began with a massive standing knee. The blow sent Vera backward, though he somehow did not fall down. O’Malley surged forward with a violent attack of punches as blood trickled down from under Vera’s right eye. O’Malley landed several more big, head-snapping punches before the round ended.
The third round was more O’Malley, though a late surge from Vera – his best consecutive offense of the fight to that point – fired up the Miami crowd. The fourth round was the most competitive, with both fighters having their moments. Regardless of how it was scored, Vera needed a finish in Round 5 – which he did not find.
Instead, O’Malley battered Vera with a brutal punch in the opening seconds. Vera, clearly hurt, made a direct B-line backward as O’Malley walked him down. Though Vera remained ultra-tough, his durability was certainly pushed as he absorbed a tremendous amount more damage before the final horn.
After the fight, O’Malley called out UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, though said he’s open to a fight against Merab Dvalishvili, as well.
With the victory, O’Malley successfully defends the title in his first attempt. He has not lost in seven fights, dating back to his initial meeting with Vera in August 2020. O’Malley lost that fight by TKO after a leg injury and punches by Vera.
Vera comes up short in his first UFC title challenge. A member of the UFC’s roster since the promotion’s inaugural “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” season in 2014, Vera has served as a pioneer and trailblazer for Latin American MMA. A large Ecuadorian presence was seen and heard at Kaseya Center.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 299 results include:
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Sean O’Malley def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-44)
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Dustin Poirier def. Benoit Saint-Denis via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 2:32
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Michael Page def. Kevin Holland via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Jack Della Maddalena def. Gilbert Burns via knockout (strikes) – Round 3, 3:43
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Petr Yan def. Yadong Song via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Curtis Blaydes def. Jailton Almeida via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:36
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Maycee Barber vs. Katlyn Cerminara via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Mateusz Gamrot def. Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
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Kyler Phillips def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Philipe Lins def. Ion Cutelaba via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Michel Pereira def. Michal Oleksiejczuk via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:01
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Robelis Despaigne def. Josh Parisian via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:18
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Asu Almabaev def. CJ Vergara via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Joanne Wood def. Maryna Moroz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.
