Sean O’Malley defeated Marlon “Chito” Vera in a dominant performance at the UFC 299 main event, defending his title and erasing any doubt about his superiority in their rivalry.
Sean O’Malley had a bone to pick with Marlon “Chito” Vera. He didn’t want to acknowledge a previous loss to Vera, but he got his sweet revenge in the UFC 299 main event.
Vera’s got a chin of steel and a will to match. If not for that, O’Malley would’ve likely scored a finish. Instead, he left Miami with a one-sided unanimous decision win.
O’Malley was relentless. He hammered away at Vera, round after round. By the end of the fight, Vera was a bloody mess, his face swollen as if stung by a horde of bees.
The judges? They scored it 50-45, 50-45, and 50-44. O’Malley defended his title successfully, leaving no room for doubt about who’s the superior fighter.
“Chito’s tough as nails,” O’Malley admitted post-win. “But I guess we can agree I’m still undefeated.”
O’Malley’s performance was a technical marvel. He outclassed Vera in every aspect of the striking game, and the fight never even hit the floor.
O’Malley was a sniper from the outside. He committed to his kicks and jabs, which kept finding Vera’s chin. He jabbed at the body too, keeping Vera guessing.
He varied his attacks, going for the head and body. Vera was always a step behind. O’Malley was faster, more accurate.
With a minute left in the second round, O’Malley landed a massive knee strike. It blasted Vera and snapped his head back. Vera remained stoic, but O’Malley was just picking him apart.
“I felt something in his face break,” O’Malley said about that knee strike. “Something snapped.”
Vera struggled to retaliate against O’Malley’s high-volume striking. By the third round, he had a cut and significant swelling under his right eye. O’Malley didn’t let up.
Vera tried to get more aggressive as time ran out. He landed a few stiff shots, causing O’Malley’s nose to bleed. But O’Malley escaped before he took any serious damage.
Even in Vera’s best moments, O’Malley outclassed him. He was landing more strikes, by a wide margin.
With five minutes left, O’Malley didn’t let up. He landed a right hand that stung Vera. Vera started covering up, trying to avoid a potential finish.
O’Malley wasn’t playing it safe. He was looking for the knockout, but Vera wouldn’t go down. O’Malley’s performance was brilliant, start to finish.
Vera gave credit where it was due. “I’ll be back,” he said. “I’ll be champion one day. O’Malley’s a great fighter. We can talk s***, but he’s a good striker. He did better than me. We’ll be back.”
What’s next for O’Malley? He’s hoping for a division change and a second title. But with top-ranked challenger Merab Dvalishvili waiting, that might be tough.
“Dana [White], get me a jet to Spain. I want Ilia Topuria,” O’Malley shouted. “He’s a scary f****** dude. Going up a weight class excites me. If you guys want me to knock out Merab, I’ll do that, too. But Ilia’s an exciting fight for the people.”