'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Last night saw the UFC hit Miami for one of the biggest pay-per-views of 2024 thus far, and it definitely lived up to the hype.
With a number of outstanding finishes, great fights and excellent performances, UFC 299: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2 was a show to remember.
With such a loaded card, though, which fights stood out over and above the rest? It isn’t easy to choose.
With that in mind, here are the five best moments from UFC 299: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2.
#5. Robelis Despaigne debuts in the UFC in style
UFC 299’s preliminary card was one of the most stacked in recent memory, featuring legit title contenders like Maycee Barber, Curtis Blaydes, and Mateusz Gamrot all in action.
In the end, though, it was octagon debutant Robelis Despaigne who managed to steal the show, claiming a $50k bonus for good measure.
An Olympic bronze medalist in taekwondo, the Cuban heavyweight was bringing in a 4-0 record to his debut and probably would’ve had more hype around him on a lesser show.
After his showing last night, though, he’ll never fly under the radar again. ‘The Big Boy’ threw an early head kick at opponent Josh Parisian, only for the strike to be caught.
Parisian attempted to back the Cuban up, but in charging forward, he made a huge mistake and left himself open. Despaigne countered with a right hand that led into a rapid combo, Parisian went down, and that was it – all in just 18 seconds.
At the age of 35, it’s probably too late for Despaigne to climb to the top of the UFC’s heavyweight division, but based on this, he should be able to snack on the division’s lower-end, sloppy fighters for fun. Overall, this was a hell of a debut.
#4. Petr Yan gets back to his best to defeat Song Yadong
The main card opener between bantamweight standouts Petr Yan and Song Yadong not only sounded like an exciting fight on paper but a pivotal one too.
Yan hadn’t won a fight since his 2021 victory over Cory Sandhagen, and after losing badly to Merab Dvalishvili in his last outing, whispers were beginning that he’d gone past his sell-by-date.
The idea here was that Song – a great but not quite elite fighter – would be able to tell us exactly how much ‘No Mercy’ had left in the tank, and he did just that.
‘The Kung Fu Kid’ took the fight to Yan in the first round, clearly landing the heavier strikes, backing the Russian up, and seemingly leaving him wary of his punching power. It looked like Yan was on his way to another sorry defeat.
That wasn’t the case, though. Yan dug in deep and began to come back in the second, landing some heavy shots of his own, including an uppercut that snapped Song’s head back and an elbow that opened the Chinese fighter up.
By the time the third round began, the momentum had shifted, and the Russian was in control. Suddenly, it felt like 2019 again, as Yan jabbed his foe at will, mixing in big combinations and takedowns for good measure.
In the end, Yan claimed a well-deserved decision in what was one of last night’s best performances. Whether he can climb back to the top remains to be seen, but on this evidence, he’s still a very real threat to anyone at 135 pounds.
#3. Jack Della Maddalena pulls a victory from the jaws of defeat to enter into UFC title contention
Arguably, the most dramatic moment at UFC 299 was produced in the welterweight bout between Jack Della Maddalena. There’s something special in any sport when a competitor snatches a last-gasp win, and that was just what happened here.
His fight with Gilbert Burns was being billed as a real test of Della Maddalena’s UFC welterweight title credentials. The Brazilian has been in with the likes of Kamaru Usman, Stephen Thompson, and Jorge Masvidal in recent years, and has beaten most of them.
Early on, it looked like the young Aussie would pass with flying colors. He appeared to be piecing ‘Durinho’ up with his sharp boxing, keeping the veteran on his back foot, but a takedown late in the first round changed the momentum.
From there, it was Della Maddalena who couldn’t get a lot done, as Burns bullied him to the ground on numerous occasions, usually walking through his combinations to do so.
With less than two minutes to go in the final round, it looked like Burns’ fight to lose. However, Della Maddalena never gave up hope. The Aussie kept looking for the big shot, and stunningly, it came.
As he scrambled to his feet after being taken down, Burns lunged for another takedown – and dived right into a brutal knee that stunned him. Sensing blood in the water, Della Maddalena opened up with punches and sealed the deal.
Based on this, the Aussie has a lot of improving to do if he wants to claim the UFC welterweight title, but stopping the ultra-durable Burns is a great way to start. More than that, this was a truly tremendous finish.
#2. Sean O’Malley proves his worth to avenge his loss to Marlon Vera
Last night’s headline bout went the distance, but that didn’t make it any less entertaining. Sean O’Malley made the first defense of his UFC bantamweight title against the only man to ever beat him – Marlon Vera – and took his revenge in style.
‘Sugar’ basically outclassed his Ecuadorian opponent from start to finish, never really letting him out of first gear. He looked faster, more accurate, and more capable of pushing the pace, and took the fight to Vera from the off.
Quite how ‘Chito’ survived some of the shots he ate, particularly in the second and fifth rounds, was anyone’s guess. It was hard not to admire his toughness.
Sure, Vera did land some decent shots to the champ, but over five rounds, that’s always going to happen. When the fight ended, though, there was no doubt at all who’d won.
The win affirmed that O’Malley is better than Vera, erasing the memories of that 2020 loss. Is he the best bantamweight in the world? Probably, but to prove that, he’ll need to beat Merab Dvalishvili at some stage.
For now, though, the ‘Sugar’ show goes on, and understandably, his performance was one of the night’s best moments.
#1. Dustin Poirier shows Benoit Saint Denis that the top of the UFC isn’t easy to reach
The wildest moment at UFC 299 came in the event’s co-headliner, as Dustin Poirier turned back the challenge of prospect Benoit Saint Denis, but had to go through utter hell to do so.
Coming off his knockout loss to Justin Gaethje and with a lot of questions about his future, ‘The Diamond’ had his back to the wall here like never before.
Saint Denis, meanwhile, had won his last five bouts in the octagon and looked not only like a potential star, but a true killer, too.
Overall, then, this fight felt very much like a changing of the guard.
In the end, that wasn’t the case. Both men came out at a frenetic pace, with Poirier trying to land a killer blow on Saint Denis, while the Frenchman seemed more focused on dragging his foe down to attack him on the ground.
At points, the action became sloppy, with Poirier failing on several ill-advised guillotine attempts, and it was quickly clear that the fight wasn’t going the allotted five rounds.
Still, few fans could’ve seen the ending coming. With Poirier seemingly beginning to wilt under the pressure, he loaded up and unleashed a brutal right hand that connected cleanly to Saint Denis, stiffening him up and taking him off his feet.
One more coffin nail shot finished things off, and Poirier had gotten back into the win column in truly devastating fashion.
Saint Denis may still have a brighter future ahead of him, but this was not his night. Instead, Poirier showed him that the top of the UFC is never easy to reach, and for now, at least, it’s ‘The Diamond’ who still belongs there. This was undoubtedly the moment of the night.
