UFC 299 outcomes: Matches to make for ‘O’Malley vs. Vera 2’ essential card winners

UFC 299 went down final evening (Sat., March 9, 2024) from inside Kaseya Middle in Miami, Fla., which featured a headlining act that noticed Sean O’Malley defend his UFC bantamweight title for the primary time by defeating Marlon Vera through unanimous determination (highlights). Within the co-main occasion, Dustin Poirier returned to his successful methods by placing an finish to Benoit Saint Denis’ momentum, knocking him out in spherical two (see it right here).

Winner: Sean O’Malley

Who He Ought to Face Subsequent: Merab Dvalishvili

Now that O’Malley has his first profitable title protection beneath his belt, he already has his sights set on transferring as much as problem newly-crowned featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, That’s simply ridiculous. I bear in mind the times when a champion was solely allowed to maneuver as much as search “champ-champ” standing after cleansing out his or her weight class. “Suga” shouldn’t be occasion near doing that, so cease with the shenanigans. O’Malley must concentrate on his subsequent rightful foe, which is Dvalishvili, who greater than earned his stripes and proper to vie for the strap after successful 10 straight fights. together with his most up-to-date dominant win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298. And let’s not neglect “The Machine” took out Marlon Moraes, Jose Aldo and Petr Yan in consecutive order previous to that. This battle must be made subsequent, plain and easy.

Winner: Dustin Poirier

Who He Ought to Face Subsequent: We’ll know after UFC 300…

Now that Poirier is again within the win column, the longtime veteran has some new discovered confidence transferring ahead particularly since he beforehand acknowledged that retirement could possibly be across the nook. Fortunately, a win gave him the motivation to maintain going a bit longer, however a title shot merely isn’t subsequent. Let’s not neglect that “The Diamond” was coming off a brutal knockout loss by the hands of Justin Gaethje in his earlier bout, and got here up brief in his bit to win the strap after getting choked out by Charles Oliveira two battle earlier than that. I get that he’s a fan-favorite and everybody would like to see him battle for the title subsequent, however that’s both going to go to both Gaethje or Oliveira, relying on who (if anybody) picks up a giant win at UFC 300 subsequent month. Additionally, let’s not neglect that Arman Tsarukyan, and even Max Holloway, could make their respective case for a title shot if they arrive out on prime in “SIn Metropolis” on the landmark occasion. For now, we merely have to attend and see what transpires at UFC 300, and I can see Poirier dealing with both a kind of males relying on the outcomes. However getting a battle straight up in opposition to Islam Makhachev merely isn’t so as, in my humble opinion.

Winner: Michael Web page

Who He Ought to Fae Subsequent: Stephen Thompson

Web page made a profitable UFC debut by outclassing Kevin Holland over the course of quarter-hour to earn a unanimous determination win. Now that the UFC jitters are out of the way in which, “Venom” will are available in a bit extra assured (not that he lacks it) in his subsequent battle. All I may suppose final evening whereas seeing Web page bounce across the cage was how nice a battle in opposition to Thompson could be. They’ve the identical karate point-fighting fashion that might seemingly result in an all-out putting affair. That is proper up each males’s alley and his is only a enjoyable battle to make. There is no such thing as a level in beating across the bush right here, that is the battle to make.

Winner: Jack Della Maddalena

Who He Ought to Face Subsequent: Shavkat Rakhmonov

Whereas it was Michal Web page who walked out to “The Undertaker’s” epic walkout music, it was “JDM” who had did the higher “Deadman” impression after coming again to life within the third and last spherical to attain an empathic come-from-behind knockout win over Gilbert Burns. Maddalena was down two rounds and was nicely on his strategy to struggling his first defeat contained in the Octagon earlier than he turned issues round within the blink of a watch to place the no. 4 ranked welterweight to sleep. With the win, the Aussie will increase his win streak to 17 in a row. He’ll seemingly be cracking the Prime 5 with a win, or near it, so it’s time to look ahead to greater fights, and he wasn’t afraid to name for a battle in opposition to Rakhmonov, who’s at present ranked No. 3 in the mean time.

Winner: Petr Yan

Who He Ought to Face Subsequent: Marlon Vera

Yan Snapped his three-fight dropping streak with a powerful win over Music Yadong, his first win in 2.5 years. Presently ranked No. 4 within the 135-pound division, “No Mercy” nonetheless has some work to do earlier than he can get again to a title shot, so a battle in opposition to Vera is sensible. Since “Chito” got here up brief in his title battle in opposition to O’Malley, defeating Yan could possibly be a a strategy to expedite his path again to the massive dance…and vice versa.

For full UFC 299 outcomes, protection, and highlights, click on HERE.