UFC 299 was one of the major highlights this past weekend. One of the best PPV events perhaps in the history of UFC, it was one that the fans will remember for years to come. However, the star of the night was undoubtedly, the bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley.
For those unaware, O’Malley made his first title defense against Marlon Vera in the main event on Saturday night. In what was a rematch of their first encounter, four years prior, ‘Suga’ pitched an absolute shutout. Leaving no doubt and no stone unturned this time around, the defending champ put in one of the best championship performances in a long time.
The Suga Show is here to stay 🍬
Last night @SugaSeanMMA defended the bantamweight title at #UFC299 pic.twitter.com/t5RK2tPBE6
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
On the night, Sean showcased a striking masterclass, brutally beating, bloodying and completely outclassing a hapless Vera. Despite the sheer volume and precision of Sean O’Malley’s strikes, ‘Chito’ managed to cling on to whatever he had left, and survive till the end of the fight. Although he had very little to offer himself, many were thoroughly impressed by Marlon’s endurance.
Sean O’Malley and Tim Welch discuss Marlon Vera after UFC 299
Coming into the fight coach Tim Welch was very confident that they were going to get it back against Marlon Vera. Quoting his own mistakes that led to the first injury loss and the only blemish on O’Malley’s record so far, Welch believed Chito to be a very beatable opponent. With that said, both he and Sean were surprised by the Ecuador native’s resilience on the night.
In a behind-the-scenes dropped by Sean O’Malley, fans got to see the team’s immediate reaction to the win. “5th Round when I hurt him really bad, he (Vera) did not know where the f**k he was at”. Further, O’Malley confessed, “But I still couldn’t find his chin, he’s got a f**king weird defense”. Additionally, Welch also added, “That’s what Cory Sandhagen said, it’s hard to find his chin, really hard to hit”.
All things considered, Vera is seen as one of the most durable fighters in the business. In his decade-long tenure with the UFC, Chito has never been dropped or knocked out. On the night, Sean O’Malley got close on numerous occasions, including one where he blasted a straight knee, rocking back Vera’s head. Despite this and many other precise strikes, he did not let up or go down.
What’s next for ‘Suga’ Sean after winning at UFC 299?
With his latest win, Sean O’Malley has done well to earn the respect of fans. Previously, there were many that were slightly less confident of his chances against Vera, due to his reserved nature during fight week. However, what O’Malley lacks with his mic skills, he makes up for with his fighting inside the Octagon.
Following his win, O’Malley also spoke about what he wanted to do next. “Dana! Get me a jet to Spain baby, I’m coming for Ilia Topuria! I want Ilia, give me Ilia”. Over the past few months, there has been a lot of back and forth between Sean and Ilia, who recently claimed the featherweight title. With both of them being superstars in their own right, it would make for a historic fight.
However, Dana White is not too keen on the fight just yet and would like both fighters to make more defenses of their title first. As for Ilia himself, the Spaniard was also impressed by Sean O’Malley’s performance but wants to see him defend the title against fellow Georgian Merab Dvalishvili first. Should Sean win that fight as well, a showdown between the two champs in Spain would certainly shatter many records.