A rematch between new bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and the last man to beat him, Marlon Vera, has been announced as the headliner for UFC 299 on March 9th at a location still to be determined at this stage.
This a fight that the 29-year-old O’Malley has been eager to run back ever since he was TKO’d late in the first round by Vera back in August of 2020 after an earlier calf kick had left him struggling to stay upright.
O’Malley believes the loss was a freak occurrence due to his compromised leg and he’s certainly done well since then, going unbeaten in his next six fights. Along the way he eventually landed himself a high-profile fight against former champ Petr Yan, which he won by split-decision, paving the way for a title shot against Aljamain Sterling that he’d win by TKO in the second round to lift the title.
As for the 30-year-old Vera, he’s gone 5-2 in the UFC since his win over Malley and has been some more big names along the way, having KO’d both Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz, while his last fight saw him earn a decision victory over Pedro Munhoz.
O’Malley vs. Vera fronts a UFC 299 card that currently has no other fights attached to it.
