UFC 299 Preview: Sean O’Malley defends bantamweight title against Marlon Vera
Battle for the Bantamweight throne
UFC 299 promises to deliver thrilling matchups, headlined by “Suga” Sean O’Malley's highly anticipated bantamweight title defence against Marlon “Chito” Vera. O’Malley, who claimed the belt in August with a knockout victory over the Long reigning champion Aljamain Sterling.
O’ Malley seeks redemption against Vera, the only fighter to have defeated him.
Their previous encounter saw Vera secure victory in 2020 with a TKO, O’Malley was rendered unable to continue the fight due to a leg injury.
Dustin Porier vs Benoit Saint-Denis
In the co-main event, former lightweight interim champion Dustin Poirier squares off against French prospect Benoit Saint-Denis in a high-stakes lightweight bout scheduled for five rounds. Poirier aims to bounce back from his recent head kick knock-out defeat against Justin Gaethje, while Saint-Denis boasts an impressive five-fight win streak.
Notably, Porier holds 2 wins over former two weight division UFC world champion and renowned Combat sports athlete, Conor Mcgregor.
Michael “Venom” Page vs Kevin Holland
The event also marks the UFC debut of Bellator standout Michael “Venom” Page, who faces the “big mouthed” Kevin Holland, a rising who started his UFC career through the Dana white contender series, in a welterweight clash.
Michael Venom Page comes from a karate background and boasts a wide array of highlight reel knockouts, which have garnered millions of views on social media.
Petr Yan vs Song Yadong
Fans can anticipate an action-packed matchup in Petr Yan vs Song Yadong.Petr Yan is a ferocious Russian Mixed martial artist, who uses crisp boxing techniques and superior wrestling at a sustained pace to overwhelm and break the will of his opponents.
He was dominating the Bantamweight division for a long time until his disqualification loss against former champion Aljamain Sterling, who was knee’d by Yan while his knees were still touching the ground.
The up and coming Chinese power house, Song yadong has a lot to gain if could overcome the steep task ahead of him, as it can catapult him directly into the title picture.
Gilbert Burns vs Jack Della Maddalena
Furthermore on the main card the rising Australian star Jack Della Maddalena takes on the veteran brazilian Jiu jitsu expert, Gilbert Burns.
Burns started as a lightweight in the UFC and later moved up to welterweight, even challenging for the title against the long time champion Kamaru Usman, in which he fell short as Kamaru was able to land a beautiful long Jab to knock him down and out in the third round of their gruelling contest.
However Burns has had victories over legends of the sport like Tyrone Woodley and even put on a swashbuckling performance in his three round war against the then seemingly invincible Khamzat Chimaev, many people scored Gilbert to win that fight.
Event Details and Viewing Options
UFC 299 is set to take place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on Saturday 9 March. The early prelims kick off at 11pm GMT, followed by the regular prelims at 1am GMT on Sunday 10 March. The main card is scheduled for 3am GMT on Sunday. UK viewers can catch the action live on TNT Sports and Discovery+, while ESPN+ and UFC’s Fight Pass will stream the event in the US.
Fight Odds and Full Card
The odds favour O’Malley over Vera, while Poirier faces Saint-Denis in a closely contested matchup. The full card promises intense battles across various weight divisions, featuring fighters like Curtis Blaydes, Rafael dos Anjos, and Kyler Phillips.
With a stacked lineup and exciting matchups, UFC 299 is poised to deliver an unforgettable night of mixed martial arts action for fans worldwide.
