UFC heads back to Miami for a loaded PPV event, headlined by a bantamweight title tilt
• 2 min read
It’s almost fight night once again in Miami. After returning to south Florida last year with a massive PPV event, UFC is back in the Magic City for UFC 299 on Saturday. Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley looks to make the first defense of his title against an old rival in Marlon “Chito” Vera from the Kaesya Center.
O’Malley will be making the first defense of the belt he won when he scored a TKO win over Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292. He is riding a five-fight winning streak since suffering his lone professional loss, an August 2020 TKO defeat at the hands of Vera.
Vera has run up a 5-2 record since defeating O’Malley. His most recent win was a decision over Pedro Munhoz on the undercard of O’Malley’s win over Sterling. The win over Munhoz was a rebound victory for Vera, who was coming off a split decision loss to Cory Sandhagen.
Vera continues to discredit O’Malley’s glossy record for getting to the title.
“With the exception of Yan and Sterling, his opponents have a pretty shitty record,” Vera said.
“Beating the champion was great. Good job. He moved well, defended the takedown,” Vera said. “And of course, Aljamain’s striking is not the best and he ran into the punch. That’s pretty low-level of a striker to do.”
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There’s plenty beyond the main event on Saturday for fans to be excited about. Look no further than the co-main event where Dustin Poirier is ready to get back in the win column against the fast-charging Benoit Saint Denis. Plus, Saturday marks the debut of former Bellator MMA star Michael “Venom” Page when he takes on veteran Kevin Holland at welterweight. The card also features what should be a banger of a striking affair between bantamweights Petr Yan and Song Yadong. And top welterweight contenders throw down when Gilbert Burns faces off with Jack Della Maddalena.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 299 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 299 fight card, odds
- Sean O’Malley (c) -280 vs. Marlon Vera +230, bantamweight title
- Benoit Saint Denis -230 vs. Dustin Poirier +190, lightweight
- Kevin Holland -130 vs. Michael Page +110, welterweight
- Jack Della Maddalena -160 vs. Gilbert Burns +135, welterweight
- Petr Yan -115 vs. Song Yadong -105, bantamweight
- Curtis Blaydes -125 vs. Jailton Almeida +105, heavyweight
- Maycee Barber -210 vs. Katlyn Cerminara +175, women’s flyweight
- Mateusz Gamrot -430 vs. Rafael dos Anjos +330, lightweight
- Kyler Phillips -260 vs. Pedro Munhoz +210, bantamweight
- Michel Pereira -155 vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk +130, middleweight
- Robelis Despaigne -360 vs. Josh Parisian +280, heavyweight
- Assu Almabayev -500 vs. C.J. Vergara +375, flyweight
- Maryna Moroz -230 vs. Joanne Wood +190, women’s flyweight
UFC 299 info
- Date: March 9
- Location: Kaseya Center — Miami
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 299 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Mahjouri: O’Malley could be the fighting champ UFC needs
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights worth your attention this weekend
- Brookhouse: Five biggest storylines to watch in Miami
- Vera mocks ‘little puppy’ O’Malley ahead of showdown
- O’Malley following the McGregor blueprint to superstardom
Who wins UFC 299: O’Malley vs. Vera 2, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on UFC 299, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200, and find out.
