The Biggest Stories Coming Out of UFC 299
On March 9th, the highly anticipated UFC 299 event went down in Miami, Florida, headlined by the rematch between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. The card delivered on all fronts, with some crazy fights and even wilder performances. We're going to cover some of the biggest coming out of UFC 299.
Sean O'Malley is a Step Ahead of Marlon Vera
The main event of UFC 299 was a highly anticipated rematch between Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. Despite Vera not deserving a title shot over names like Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen, no one can deny that there was a high level of intrigue heading into this matchup. Sean O'Malley was a moderate favorite heading into the main event, but with how it played out, you'd think he was -1000.
From round 1 to round 5, O'Malley dominated Vera by utilizing his superior footwork and speed, with the Ecuadorian rarely finding success in the contest. "Sugar" connected with a brutal knee in the second round, which hurt "Chito" badly, and then rocked him again in the fifth with a straight. This shutout performance granted O'Malley his first title defense, and moving forward, there will be a few Bantamweights who want to stand on their feet with the Sugar Show.
The oddsmakers are always confident in Israel Adesanya.
— Verdict (@TournamentsMMA) April 5, 2023
He's lost 3 fights to Alex Pereira, but the oddsmakers still have him as a favorite heading into this weekend.#UFC287 pic.twitter.com/0MF4krsH1v
Dustin Poirier and Petr Yan Aren't Done Just Yet
UFC 299 was stacked top-to-bottom with veteran vs. prospect matchups. Although fighters like Maycee Barber, Mateusz Gamrot, and Jack Della Maddalena were able to break through their older foes, Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier and Petr "No Mercy" Yan held down the fort and got back into the win column with impressive victories.
Fans were worried for Yan heading into the fight against Song Yadong. Yan had lost his last three fights, including a dominant loss to Dvalishvili. But the expert striker was able to outwork Yadong in the later rounds to get himself back on track. And how about Dustin Poirier? As a near +200 underdog, he shut down Benoit Saint-Denis inside two rounds, closing the show with a nasty hook.
At the start of the week, fans agreed that these two fighters were one loss away from retirement. But now, these two veterans are only a few wins away from another crack at the title.
Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes 2 Should Be Next
What a statement victory from Curtis "Razor" Blaydes this weekend. The top-5 Heavyweight had his back against the wall, coming up against the surging Jailton Almeida, who was riding a fifteen-fight winning streak. After a dicey first round, Blaydes TKOed Almeida with some lethal hammer fists.
Blaydes has now won 4 of his last five fights, with his only loss coming against Sergei Pavlovich, whom Tom Aspinall has already fought. Ciryl Gane hadn't fought since September, when he secured a second-round TKO over Serghei Spivak, but that shouldn't be enough to warrant a third shot at the title.
With Jon Jones out and injured and Stipe Miocic only wanting to fight Jones before retirement, it's pretty clear what fight needs to happen next in the Heavyweight division.
Michel Pereira Is Made For Middleweight
How did Michel "Demolidor" Pereira ever make Welterweight (170 lbs)? He looked massive against Michal Oleksiejczuk in the early prelims of UFC 299.
The Brazillian fighter, who has a background in Karate and Capoeira, secured his fastest UFC finish last weekend. He hurt Oleksiejczuk early with a body shot before submitting him with a rear-naked choke. Since making his Middleweight debut in the UFC, Pereira has yet to see a second round or even the third minute of a fight.
The oddsmakers are always confident in Israel Adesanya.
— Verdict (@TournamentsMMA) April 5, 2023
He's lost 3 fights to Alex Pereira, but the oddsmakers still have him as a favorite heading into this weekend.#UFC287 pic.twitter.com/0MF4krsH1v
"Demolidor" has six performance bonuses in the UFC (4x Performace of The Night, 2x Fight of The Night) and deserves to fight a ranked opponent in his next bout. The ceiling for Pereira at Middleweight is hard to predict; how far do you think he can go?
Who was your standout star from UFC 299? As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
