UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley and Chito Vera title fight goes all five rounds
Re-live updates after ‘Sugar Sean’ defended his bantamweight title against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera
Sean O’Malley avenged the only defeat of his professional career on Saturday, outpointing Marlon Vera to retain his bantamweight title at UFC 299.
It was a masterclass by “Sugar Sean”, who outstruck “Chito” across five rounds to secure a unanimous-decision win (50-45, 50-45, 50-44). With the victory, O’Malley made his first title defence a successful one, having knocked out Aljamain Sterling to win the title in August. The American also took revenge upon Vera, who beat him via TKO in 2020.
The standout moment of the fight saw O’Malley drill a knee into his challenger’s face in round two – a shot that the Ecuadorian somehow survived. O’Malley then dropped Vera to a knee just before the buzzer signaled the end of the round.
Vera, 31, showed spirit to muster a decent spell of offence at the end of round three and early in round four, with O’Malley briefly retreating. However, the champion hurt Vera with a cross in the fifth and final round and saw out a clinical performance in the remaining minutes.
Re-live updates and results from the UFC 299 main card and prelims, below.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Sean O’Malley def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision 50-45, 50-45, 50-44
O’Malley says he felt something break in Vera’s face when he landed that knee.
Sean calls out featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, saying he’ll face the Georgian-Spaniard in Spain.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Round five
Hard cross by O’Malley, who hurts Vera with that! O’Malley misses with a spinning back kick. He then backs off ever so slightly, remembering Wekch’s advice.
But Vera is retreating and covering up. O’Malley goes back to the body. Head kick now. Southpaw cross.
More clean crosses by Sean, who is southpaw at the moment. Spinning back kick to the body.
Head kick by Sugar. Front kick to the head by Vera, it’s narrowly wide. Good knee by the challenger, though. O’Malley responds in kind.
And we’ll go to the scorecards! O’Malley is on his knees, he might actually have been caught with a body shot before the buzzer.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
“Don’t try to knock him out,” O’Malley is told by his coach, Tim Welch.
Welch says O’Malley is up 4-0, and he’s probably right, although Vera was better in round four than in the previous frames.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Round four
Into the championship rounds. Cross lands for Vera. Now a jumping knee! This is what he needs to do: let go, pressure Sean.
O’Malley with a cross. Good left hook by Vera! Another knee! One-two by O’Malley, then a head kick!
Two hard crosses by O’Malley, who switches stances between them. Vera backs him up, though. This is better from the Ecuadorian.
Nice trip by O’Malley. Vera pops back up. Sean’s nose is bloodied now, as is Vera’s.
Both men are landing to the head. O’Malley is staying as composed as possible, still varying his offence.
Lots of straight shots are landing for O’Malley.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Round three
Vera needs this round to give himself a chance. Or he needs a stoppage, of course.
O’Malley is just beating Vera to the punch in every exchange. Decent left hand by Vera, and another.
O’Malley switches stances back and forth. Both men land body kicks. Vera chases O’Malley with a wild flurry upstairs.
Hard left hook to the body by O’Malley. Good left cross. Now a right hand. Another, to the body.
Sugar just looks leagues ahead of Vera. Anything can happen in this sport, though. Can Chito find the KO he needs?
Nice left cross for O’Malley. Two hooks to the body. Jumping knee by the champ.
Double-jab by Vera. Good right cross by the challenger! And a jab! He needs to just let go like this.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Round two
Spinning back kick by O’Malley. It partially lands up top. Decent step-in knee for Vera. Front kick to the body by O’Malley.
The champion slings a right cross to the body of Vera. Lots of stance-switching by O’Malley, who blocks a head kick. Another right cross to the body by O’Malley, who adds a head kick.
Vera’s nose looks a little bloody. He kicks low. And again. O’Malley catches a body kick and throws another cross to the body. Now one to the head.
Decent left hook by Vera. O’Malley goes southpaw and opts for another body cross. OH! BRUTAL KNEE TO THE HEAD OF VERA! And another! Vera is retreating!
He just ate that first one! What?! Even so, O’Malley is feeling himself now. He tries another knee. Hard jab, right hook.
Cross, and another by O’Malley. Body kick. Lots of activity. Vera with a one-two! And a body kick of his own. Head kick by O’Malley.
OH! Sugar drops Vera to a knee on the buzzer!
Realllllly good round for the champ. A fun frame overall.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Round one
No touch of gloves... There’s a “Chito” chant in the crowd. Both men stand orthodox.
O’Malley kicks low early. Vera goes southpaw. Front kick to the body of Vera, who has never been stopped before by the way.
O’Malley goes southpaw now, too. “USA” chant from the crowd. Spinning back kick to the body by O’Malley, then another hard kick under the arm of Vera.
Decent cross by O’Malley from an orthodox stance. He’s out of range as Vera tries a head kick. Low kick by O’Malley, then a tidy southpaw jab.
Another good left as O’Malley flits between stances. Hard low kick by Vera, then a left hand. Front kick to the body by O’Malley, who narrowly avoids a side kick upstairs.
Jab by O’Malley, who just misses with the follow-up cross. Hard cross to the body by O’Malley, and another. He’s orthodox for now. Superman punch by Vera. Body kick by O’Malley.
Another body cross by O’Malley, who narrowly misses with a straight upstairs on the buzzer.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Now here comes Sugar Sean, to a mixed reaction. In a UFC first tonight, O’Malley will be fighting in pink shorts!
Bruce Buffer is bringing a lot of energy as he makes the introductions; he always does, but for some reason it seems like he’s going extra hard tonight.
Here we go!! Five rounds scheduled!
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
A great reaction for Vera in Miami, as he makes his ring walk. Lots of Ecuadorian fans have travelled to support him tonight.
What he can’t afford to do tonight is wait too long to get started in the fight. That has cost him before, most recently against Cory Sandhagen in May.
However, Vera has also been en route to losing decisions before and then saved himself with spectacular knockouts. He famously did so against the legendary Frankie Edgar in 2021. A similar situation against former champ Dominick Cruz in 2022, too.
UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley vs Chito Vera
Next up, it’s the main event! Sean O’Malley defends his bantamweight title against old foe Marlon “Chito” Vera.
Vera is the only man to have beaten O’Malley, having injured “Sugar Sean”’s leg to set up a TKO in 2020, but the latter is the favourite in tonight’s rematch.
Since their first meeting, O’Malley has become one of the UFC’s biggest stars, winning five straight fights – barring a No Contest against Pedro Munhoz in 2022 – and claiming the men’s bantamweight title in August.
The American, 29, knocked out Aljamain Sterling to win the belt, and now his first defence comes against Vera.
The Ecuadorian, 31, last fought on the undercard of O’Malley’s title win, beating Munhoz on points to bounce back from a loss to Cory Sandhagen.
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