The long-awaited moment for Sean O’Malley finally arrived on Saturday as the 29-year-old bantamweight champion delivered a dominant performance.
O’Malley avenged his only loss in the headlining event of UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami with a shutout victory over Marlon “Chito” Vera. The judges scored the fight 50-45, 50-45, and 50-44 in favor of the champion.
Vera had previously defeated O’Malley, an undefeated rising star, back in 2020 with a first-round TKO. Since then, O’Malley has turned his career around and claimed the bantamweight championship with a convincing win over Aljamain Sterling in August.
O’Malley defended his title against Vera to even the score. It was Vera’s first UFC championship bout, and despite winning five of his last six fights, he was unable to secure a victory on Saturday.
Also on the eventful card, former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier surprised fans by knocking out Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event. Petr Yan bounced back with a decision win over Song Yadong, and UFC newcomer Michael “Venom” Page outpointed Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland.
Here is a summary of the entire card:
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