Sean O'Malley's first title defense was against a familiar opponent, but this time, there would be no controversy and no shock result. O'Malley defeated Marlon “Chito” Vera to retain his bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 299. The judges' scorecards read 50-45, 50-45 and 50-44.
O'Malley dominated the first three rounds, with Vera's ability to land strikes in full form. O'Malley with right knees to Vera's chin and several punches that bloodied Vera's face. Vera tried to overcome the speed difference, but she struggled to make any impact against the champion.
Round four was a solid round for Vera as O'Malley got a bloody nose. Even so, O'Malley landed at will and Vera did her best to withstand significant strikes. The fifth was filled with exciting moments, but once again O'Malley got the best of Vera.
After the bout, O'Malley said he wanted to fight UFC featherweight champion Ilya Topuria.
Prior to the main event, Dustin Poirier retained his spot in the lightweight division, knocking out rising prospect Benoit St. Denis in the second round, Michael “Venom” Page made a successful UFC debut with a decision victory over Kevin Holland, and defeated Jacques Della Maddalena. Gilbert Burns and Petr Yan surged in the final two rounds to deny Zhang Yadong the top seed.
Here's how all the action from UFC 299 in Miami played out:
