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

Francis Ngannou says Anthony Joshua was 'way better' during post-fight press conference

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 retains bantamweight title against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera
• O’Malley avenges 2020 TKO loss by dominating Vera for five rounds
• Co-main event: Dustin Poirier knocks Benoit Saint-Denis out cold
• Michael ‘Venom’ Page outpoints Kevin Holland on UFC debut
• Jack Della Maddalena fights back to stop Gilbert Burns
• Former champ Petr Yan defeats Song Yadong to end losing streak

[10 March 2024 03:24 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Petr Yan vs Song Yadong

Round one

Both men stand orthodox. Leg kick for Song straight away, then a quick lead hook.

Yan with a decent overhand right on the 26-year-old, who fires back with another left hook. Yan slips a right hand and jabs to the body. And again. Song feints for a takedown and throws a hook.

Both men land in a scrappy exchange. Good jab by Song. Yan kicks low, and Song times a hook over the top. Spinning back kick to the body by Song.

Body kick by Yan. Again Song throws a punch over the top of the kick. Yan misses with a right hook.

Song catches a kick and takes down Yan. He has the back, but Yan is defending well... Yan tries to roll away, but Song hangs on.

Good punches by Song, before Yan stands and separates. Decent left hook by Song, who’s had a great round.

[10 March 2024 03:12 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Petr Yan vs Song Yadong

The main card begins with a bantamweight clash between ex-champion Petr Yan and Song Yadong.

Fans expected Yan to be a dominant champion after he won the vacant title in 2020, but the Russian lost the belt in his first defence – by DQ, no less.

And Yan is now on a three-fight losing streak, having suffered close decision losses to Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley before being dominated by Merab Dvalishvili.

Here we go!

[10 March 2024 03:08 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Prelim results

Curtis Blaydes def. Jailton Almeida via second-round TKO (0:36)

Maycee Barber def. Katlyn Cerminara via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

Mateusz Gamrot def. Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)

Kyler Phillips def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Philipe Lins def. Ion Cutelaba via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Michel Pereira def. Michal Oleksiejczuk via first-round submission (rear naked choke, 1:01)

Robelis Despaigne def. Josh Parisian via first-round KO (0:18) | Watch finish

Assu Almabayev def. CJ Vergara via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Joanne Wood def. Maryna Moroz via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

[10 March 2024 03:00 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Main card under way

The main card is upon us! Now, here are the prelim results...

[10 March 2024 02:56 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Main card imminent

The UFC 299 main card is moments away! We’ll have a round-up of all the prelim results for you in a few moments...

Here’s what we have to look forward to next, in reverse order:

Sean O’Malley (C) vs Marlon “Chito” Vera 2 (bantamweight title)

Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight – five rounds)

Kevin Holland vs Michael “Venom” Page (welterweight)

Gilbert Burns vs Jack Della Maddalena (welterweight)

Petr Yan vs Song Yadong (bantamweight)

[10 March 2024 02:50 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Is Sean O’Malley a pound-for-pound top-10 fighter?

Full transparency: Sean O’Malley does not feature on our pound-for-pound top-10 list.

That is largely down to his resume, which does not compare to those of the fighters in our rankings, although his KO of Sterling was a tremendous result.

In his last fight before winning the belt, the American beat ex-champ Petr Yan via decision, but it was a highly controversial result – one that Indy Sport did not agree with.

However, O’Malley could enter our top 10 with an impressive knockout tonight. Let’s see...

[10 March 2024 02:41 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley makes first title defence after KO of Sterling

As the main card approaches, why not check out our report from the night Sean O’Malley won the UFC men’s bantamweight title?

“Sugar Sean” stopped Aljamain Sterling in round two in August to dethrone the Jamaican-American.

[10 March 2024 02:28 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Card follows huge Joshua vs Ngannou fight night

In other MMA-related news, ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou endured a brutal night against Anthony Joshua yesterday.

“AJ” dropped the Cameroonian, who was boxing for just the second time, three times in two rounds. The final knockdown in Saudi Arabia signaled the end for Ngannou, who was out cold on the canvas.

Here’s our report from that bout, which should do nothing to affect Ngannou’s incredible MMA legacy:

[10 March 2024 02:13 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley’s coach predicts ‘viral knockout’ of Marlon Vera

More from O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch:

“I don’t think [Vera has improved] a ton. I don’t think his confidence is going to be high, and the way he showed up against Cory Sandhagen, he got smoked. He barely got past a little, short – no diss, but – Pedro Munhoz, who’s not very fast and big, he’s a little bit older.

“So, I don’t think his confidence is super high, but Chito’s dangerous. He is really, really good at getting beat up and then winning, which is a dangerous thing. He’s very durable, he trains hard, he’s got a good coach, and he’s dangerous.

“Last time we fought him, we [underestimated] him. We thought he was just slow and clunky, and then that happened, so we’re not underestimating him this time.”

[10 March 2024 02:00 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 299 LIVE: Sean O’Malley’s coach predicts ‘viral knockout’ of Marlon Vera

Sean O’Malley’s coach has predicted a “viral knockout” for his fighter in the tonight’s main event, when “Sugar Sean” faces Marlon Vera.

O’Malley, who won the UFC men’s bantamweight title in August, will make his first defence of the belt tonight, taking on the only man to have beaten him: “Chito” Vera.

In the pair’s first fight, in 2020, Vera battered O’Malley’s legs, ultimately causing an injury before sealing a TKO of the American. Yet O’Malley is the favourite ahead of their rematch next month – a verdict that Tim Welch agrees with.

“I believe it’s going to be a viral knockout,” Welch said on The MMA Hour in February. “But like I said, I’m preparing Sean for a five-round war. I’m bringing the toughest people I could find in to spar him, going tons of rounds, trying to break him, trying to break his legs, kicking his legs.

“We’re preparing him for a five-round war, because Chito is really good at taking shots, he’s very durable. So, we’re preparing him for five rounds, but I do believe in my heart that [Vera is probably going to be] face-planted at the end of the fight.”