O’Malley keeps Bantamweight title at UFC 299; Poirier triumphs in co-main event

At UFC 299, held on Saturday, March 9, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, Sean O’Malley of the United States successfully defended his Bantamweight championship against Marlon Vera of Ecuador. In the co-main event of the Lightweight division, Dustin Poirier of the United States secured a win by knocking out Benoit Saint-Denis of France in the second round.

Michael Page from the United Kingdom made an impactful UFC debut by securing a victory over Kevin Holland of the United States through unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

In the Bantamweight title match, O’Malley took an early advantage over Vera, showcasing his striking skills and landing significant hits. O’Malley continued to dominate, especially in the fifth round, leading to a victory by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-44), marking his first title defense with remarkable skill and strategy. Post-fight, O’Malley expressed his interest in challenging Ilia Topuria, the current featherweight champion from Spain, highlighting his eagerness to move up a weight class.

Poirier overcame Saint-Denis’ aggressive approach and physicality, managing to secure a knockout victory at 2:32 in the second round. This fight was named the fight of the night, and Poirier’s win has potentially set him up for a title shot against the current Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev from Russia.

Page’s debut fight against Holland was a striking match where Page efficiently managed distance to land hits and evade Holland’s attempts. Page skillfully got back to his feet whenever the fight went to the ground, ultimately winning by unanimous decision.

Additional highlights from UFC 299 include:
– Jack Della Maddalena defeated Gilbert Burns by KO in the third round.
– Petr Yan won against Song Yadong by unanimous decision.
– Curtis Blaydes beat Jailton Almeida by TKO in the second round.
– Maycee Barber achieved a unanimous decision victory over Katlyn Cerminara.
– Mateusz Gamrot won against Rafael Dos Anjos by unanimous decision.
– Kyler Phillips secured a win over Pedro Munoz by unanimous decision.
– Philipe Lins defeated Ion Cutelaba by unanimous decision.
– Michel Pereira won by submission against Michal Oleksiejczuk in the first round.
– Robelis Despaigne triumphed over Josh Parisian by TKO in the first round.
– Asu Almabayev won against CJ Vergara by unanimous decision.
– Joanne Wood narrowly defeated Maryna Moroz by split decision.