UFC 299
Review
Dominant Sean O'Malley and victorious veterans
Still Suga!
The Suga show continues
It was Sean O'Malley's first title defense as Bantamweight champion. In this fight, the American squared off directly against Marlon 'Chito' Vera, the only opponent he'd lost to in the UFC. Before the fight on Sunday night, many fans debated how much this defeat would affect him in the next encounter. The answer: Not at all!
'Suga' delivered an incredibly dominant performance over five rounds, managing to keep his distance and repeatedly inflict damage with quick attacks. 'Chito,' on the other hand, was often overwhelmed by the champ's kickboxing combinations and took a lot of hits throughout the rounds. Towards the end of the fight, the Ecuadorian's eye became increasingly swollen, making the fight even more challenging. Vera was rarely able to capitalize on his quick swings and threaten O'Malley. The final scorecards showed a 50-45, 50-45, and 50-44 point victory. A one-way street for O'Malley, who was able to absorb a few strikes and remained the dominant aggressor throughout the fight.
The Diamond is Back!
Monster KO for the veteran & contender fights
In the evening's co-main, veteran Dustin Poirier faced newcomer Benoit Saint-Denis. The Frenchman quickly showed why he is so dangerous, constantly marching forward. However, Poirier didn't let this distract him and was able to catch Saint-Denis off guard time and again, attempting two guillotine chokes. During the break, the 'Diamond' was advised to focus more on boxing and fewer submissions. This should pay off. Saint-Denis pushed forward again, but was eventually caught by a powerful hook in the brawl and knocked out. For Dustin Poirier, it was an incredibly strong comeback after his loss to Gaethje last year. "I wanted someone dangerous, someone powerful - to prove that I belong to the top guys in the division," he said in a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan.
The rest of the superstar-studded main card saw victories for Michael Page (Unanimous Decision), who successfully celebrated his UFC debut. Jack Della Maddalena made a statement with his third-round TKO victory over Gilbert Burns. Petr Yan returned with a decision victory over Song Yadong.
The big names delivered on what UFC 299 promised, and many UFC veterans were able to return.
What happens next?
Sugar & Co.
For Sean O'Malley, his journey as champion continues. After the fight, he called out Ilia Topuria and said he'd like to have a fight in Spain next, where he could become a double champion. An alternative would be another title defense against Merhab Dvalishvili, who is on the rise in the bantamweight division. Which fight will take place next is likely up to Dana White, who will surely be happy to accommodate his favorite O'Malley's wishes.
For Poirier, the spectacular victory was exactly what he needed to warrant another title shot. In his post-fight interview, he insisted on a fight against champion Islam Makhachev in June. Before that, we'll likely have to wait until UFC 300, where Charles Oliviera, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan are all represented. Their fights will determine much of the future of the UFC lightweight division.