Sean O’Malley puts on a remarkable performance, dominating Marlon Vera at UFC 299.

Sean O’Malley put on an extraordinary performance at UFC 299 in Miami, where he triumphed over Marlon Vera. This event marked the return of the UFC to South Florida since the sold-out UFC 287 in April 2023, and the bantamweight title rematch between O’Malley and Vera was highly anticipated. Held at the prestigious Kaseya Center, the event even saw an appearance by former President Donald Trump.

O’Malley sought redemption in this bout, as he had previously suffered his only career loss at the hands of Vera. However, he proved himself to be an emerging star of the UFC with an impressive showing.

O’Malley’s victory over Vera took center stage in the main event of UFC 299. Not only was his visually striking appearance with blue and pink cornrows and custom pink fight shorts noteworthy, but his performance in the Octagon truly matched his appearance. He secured the win via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-44), successfully defending his UFC bantamweight title for the first time.

Throughout the fight, O’Malley displayed superior combinations and footwork. His precise left hands and powerful right crosses found their mark, and a well-timed knee in the second round caused significant damage, resulting in a cut below Vera’s right eye. In the third round, O’Malley sent Vera to the canvas with a powerful right hand.

Sean O’Malley acknowledged the impact of his knee strike, stating, “The knee definitely did some damage to his face. I’m not sure if it was his nose or cheek, but I felt something snap.”

Due to possible head and facial injuries, Vera was taken to the hospital for precautionary measures, as confirmed by the UFC.

O’Malley landed an impressive 230 significant strikes, making it the third-highest tally in a UFC title fight and the highest in a UFC bantamweight title fight. In contrast, Vera managed to land only 89 significant strikes.

Despite Vera’s resilience – he shares the record with Jon Jones for the most UFC fights (23) without being finished – he struggled to gain momentum in the fourth and fifth rounds. O’Malley dominated every round on the scorecards.

UFC CEO Dana White praised O’Malley’s performance during the post-fight news conference, stating, “He put on a clinic, and I’m not sure anyone can finish Chito Vera. The guy has an iron chin.”

However, O’Malley expressed disappointment in not achieving a knockout victory, admitting, “There’s something about not getting the finish that just doesn’t sit well with me.”The crowd within the Kaseya Center was divided in their support, with a substantial number of Ecuadorian fans descending upon Miami for the event. They demonstrated unwavering loyalty through songs and chants leading up to the fight. The UFC saw over 40 media members from Ecuador alone covering the event, in addition to a dozen Spanish-language journalists. Initially, the arena reverberated with chants of “Chito” in support of Vera. However, as the fight progressed, O’Malley’s star power began to shine. Eventually, the spectators were chanting his name. “He’s on his way,” White said of O’Malley, announcing a gate of $14.14 million for UFC 299, the fourth highest in promotion history. “Right now, he’s the biggest star in bantamweight history.”

In 2020, Vera emerged as the victor over O’Malley after the latter sustained a leg injury from a kick. Despite the loss officially recorded on his record, O’Malley consistently denied that he lost that fight and maintained his claim of being undefeated. “I believe we can all agree that I’m still undefeated,” O’Malley asserted.

Following the fight, O’Malley suggested to White that a private jet be arranged for him to travel to Spain and face the new UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, in a superfight. O’Malley also expressed his willingness to fight the top bantamweight contender, Merab Dvalishvili. “If you want me to knock out Merab, I’m up for it too,” O’Malley added.

Sean O’Malley stood at No. 10 on its pound-for-pound MMA list. He held the top spot in the bantamweight division, while Vera was ranked No. 8.

With a record of 18-1 and 1 no contest, O’Malley remained unbeaten in his last seven fights, excluding the loss to Vera. The native of Montana, who resides and trains in Arizona, secured the title by knocking out Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August.

Vera, boasting a record of 23-9-1, had won five out of his last six fights. The Ecuadorian fighter, residing and training in Southern California, recently achieved a unanimous decision victory over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292. At the age of 31, Vera currently holds the record for the most finishes (10) in UFC bantamweight history.

“I’ll be back,” Vera declared after the fight. “One day, I will become the champion.”