UFC 299 storylines — Can Marlon Chito Vera beat Sean O’Malley again?،
“17-0.”
It was the tweet. Nothing more, just this one line. That lie.
Sean O'Malley wasn't 17-0 when he posted on X last March that he supposedly had an unblemished professional fighting record. At the time, he was actually 16-1 without any contests. But hours after watching the former opponent responsible for his “1” – Marlon “Chito” Vera – lose a UFC fight, “Suga Sean” felt inspired to take to social media and rewrite the 'history.
MMA, perhaps more than any other sport, is a game of illusion. Fighters are always trying to convince the world – and themselves – that they are invincible. Such sleight of hand is understandable, given what this combat sport demands of its athletes, particularly mentally. Imagine walking into a cage in front of a bloodthirsty crowd, hearing the steel door lock behind you, and then watching a trained killer who can't wait to get his hands on you. Anyone in this situation might feel the need to convince themselves that they belong there.
O'Malley is certainly one of them. When he launched the “17-0” illusion a year ago, he wasn't yet the UFC men's bantamweight champion, but he was just months away from reaching that glorious destination. He won the belt in August with a second-round TKO of Aljamain Sterling, and he will defend it for the first time Saturday in the main event of UFC 299 against none other than “Chito” Vera (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET).
What a sport, right? MMA perpetually draws us into a soap opera whose plot is the melodrama “As the World Turns”. In this weekend's episode, “Suga Sean” seems to remain undefeated in his own headspace.
O'Malley has been playing these mind games since the 2020 TKO loss to Vera. Shortly after the fight, he consoled himself with a sidelong look at the common future of the two fighters. “OK, let’s look at his career in five years, let’s look at mine,” O’Malley said on his “Timbo Sugar Show” podcast. “I’m going to be a fucking world champion, he’s going to be a journeyman.”
Now, one might question the wisdom of calling someone who knocked you out in less than a round a journeyman, but O'Malley had his finger on the pulse of where he and the 135-pound division were heading. directed. Less than three years after that prediction, O'Malley won UFC gold, while Vera lost his next fight to Jose Aldo and lost another a year ago to Cory Sandhagen. But “Chito” has not been forgotten. He has won five of his last six fights and is now fighting for the title.
What a trip, man.
Saturday's main event is just the latest act in a UFC 299 lineup that's chock-full of collisions and intriguing storylines. Here are six scenarios to watch out for.
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1. Does it feel like it’s the first time? In reality, no
Men's bantamweight title fight: Sean O'Malley (c) vs. Marlon Vera 2
He can tell a fancy story all he wants, but O'Malley (17-1, 1 NC) knows in his soul that he lost a fight to Vera 3 1/2 years ago. He felt the kick which numbed his right foot and sent him to the canvas. He felt the elbows on his face which finished him off.
More importantly, Vera (23-8-1) felt all of these feelings too. He felt the impact of those elbows on O'Malley, felt the referee's hands pushing him back, felt the emotion of the referee raising his hand. “Chito” remembers what Really It happened the first time he and O'Malley faced each other, and it has him pumped up for the rematch with real confidence.
The belt is an encouragement for both men, but the stakes are much higher for O'Malley. The UFC is auditioning for its next megastar, and the bantamweight champion has a cupboard full of necessary ingredients. Even in the loss to Vera, O'Malley was leading the way until a well-placed kick left him unable to take two steps. “Suga Sean” showed that he is who he says he is. On Saturday, he must remind us – for real.
2. Who do you call a guardian?
Lightweight: Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint Denis
A little over two years ago, Poirier fought for the lightweight championship for the second time. He had also just finished beating Conor McGregor twice in a row. “The Diamond” shone among the leaders of the 155-pound division.
He is now tasked with protecting this empty territory against an ambitious mountaineer.
It is a precarious position to resist the rise of Saint Denis. The Frenchman is 13-1 uncontested, and he has produced finishes in each of his victories. Poirier poses a higher-level challenge than any he's ever faced, but it's the fight Saint Denis asked for. And Poirier is willing and eager, at 35, to prove himself once again.
3. First time I walk through the door of the funhouse
Welterweight: Kevin Holland vs. Michael 'Venom' Page
What a lovely one-man welcoming committee the UFC put together for Page. I mean, imagine what MVP was thinking when he started studying the Netherlands video.
Wait, did he just knock out Jacare Souza while he was lying on his back?
Did he just ask fighter-turned-broadcaster Daniel Cormier for mid-fight wrestling advice?
Page may have an idiosyncratic style once the bell rings, but Holland just has an idiosyncratic style to his being. Masterful matchmaking.
4. Inevitably the climb gets steeper
Welterweight: Gilbert Burns vs. Jack Della Maddalena
Della Maddalena has won 16 in a row, which is the kind of race that makes you unmissable. It started early in his six-fight UFC run, when he looked like the next big thing. As he continued to win and the UFC began to impose greater obstacles on him, his victories became harder to achieve, impressive in a more nuanced way.
Yet none of these beaten opponents have the pedigree of Burns. If Della Maddalena doesn't stumble on this next step, he's going elsewhere.
Burns also needs to move. At 37, he could really benefit from the instant career boost that derailing a fashion train could bring. He is 2-2 in his last four fights, and 3-3 in his last six fights. Not bad, but one step forward and one step back gets him nowhere.
5. Comings and goings at crossroads
Men's Bantamweight: Petr Yan vs. Song Yadong
As of March 2021, Yan was the men's bantamweight champion and seemed untouchable. Then, while in full control of a title defense against Sterling, he was disqualified for landing an illegal knee, costing him the belt. Yan also lost the rematch, then dropped two more fights afterward. But all of those losses came against championship-level opponents, and two of them were split decisions. We therefore do not know if Yan, at 31, is fading or if he is slipping.
The song will serve as a measure. He has won five of his last six matches, and the only loss was against a top player, Cory Sandhagen. Song has been given the label “prospect” for years, and now he has the opportunity to trade it for “competitor.” If he needs a way to boost confidence, he can check out the event poster depicting the two fighters headlining the title fight. Song has a victory over Vera.
6. Big battle for ground control
Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida
Almeida, winner of 15 straight fights, has already done enough to warrant a title shot, but he's stuck behind interim champion Tom Aspinall, who is inexplicably stuck behind former champ Stipe Miocic. By the time Almeida, 32, gets to the front of the queue, he could be 41, like Miocic.
Almeida therefore seeks to bide his time by consolidating his place. He'll be put to work in a fight that should be wrestlers' delight – if there's any justice in the MMA world and these two don't stand there and join hands. Twelve of Almeida's 20 career victories have come by submission. And Blaydes' wrestling made many opponents' nights miserable. But Blaydes hasn't fought since a TKO loss to Sergei Pavlovich nearly a year ago. Who will do the biggest work?
