Las Vegas – UFC returns to Miami, Florida with another electric card, headlined by a highly anticipated rematch between UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and No. 6-ranked contender Marlon Vera. Plus, in an action-packed five-round co-main event, #3 lightweight contender Dustin Poirier takes on #12 ranked Benoit Saint Denis.
UFC 299: O’Malley vs. Vera 2 will take place on Saturday, March 9 at the Kaseya Center, with the main card available on ESPN+ PPV at 10pm ET/7pm PT. The prelims will air on ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT, and will join the progress on ESPN starting at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT. The first prelims will be available to watch exclusively on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT.
UFC bantamweight champion O’Malley (17-1 1 NC), fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona, is looking to finally settle the score against the only man who handed him a loss. The Arizona-based fighter has put in standout performances against top talent like Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan, and Raulian Paiva. O’Malley now aims to build on his legacy as a champion by taking down his rival, Vera, in emphatic fashion.
Vera (21-8-1) fighting out of Chone, Manabí, Ecuador intends to make the most of his first championship fight by defeating O’Malley for the second time. Vera, a versatile finisher and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, has earned strong wins against Dominick Cruz, Frankie Edgar and Pedro Munhoz. She now sets her sights on gold as she attempts to become the first Ecuadorian UFC champion.
Poirier (29-8 1 NC) fighting from Coconut Creek, Florida through Lafayette, Louis. he returns to action seeking redemption. A veteran of the octagon, the former UFC interim lightweight champion has victories over elite competitors such as Conor McGregor (x2), Michael Chandler and Dan Hooker. Poirier looks to quash Saint Denis’ title ambitions with a dominant victory over the rising contender.
France’s Saint Denis (13-1 1 NC), fighting out of Paris, France looks to continue climbing the lightweight rankings by achieving a standout finish against a big name. A judo black belt with impressive striking, the Frenchman is currently on a five-fight winning streak and has finished off the likes of Matt Frevola, Thiago Moisés and Ismael Bonfim in his last three outings. Saint Denis now looks to claim the biggest win of his career by defeating Poirier in an unforgettable performance.
No. 5 heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes (17-4 1NC) fighting out of Chicago, Ill. and No. 7 ranked Jailton Almeida (20-2) fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil battle in a pivotal matchup. Exciting No. 4 ranked welterweights Gilbert Burns (22-6) fighting from Boca Raton, Florida via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Dana White’s Contender Series alum No. 11 Jack Della Maddalena (16-2) fighting from Perth, Western Australia seeks to deliver fireworks.
Welterweights try to steal the show as fan favorite Kevin Holland (25-10 1NC), fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas, welcomes UFC newcomer Michael Page (21-2) fighting out of London , England, in what promises to be an epic clash. . Also on the channel, #4 flyweight contender Katlyn Chookagian (18-5) fighting from Amity Harbor, New York via Quakertown, Penn. she collides with No. 7 Maycee Barber (13-2) fighting out of Sacramento, California in a pivotal matchup.
Lightweight No. 6 Mateusz Gamrot (23-2 1 NC) fighting out of Poznan, Poland, takes on No. 11 Rafael Dos Anjos (32-15) fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in a high-profile bout . Former UFC champion and current #5 bantamweight contender Petr Yan (16-5), representing Yekaterinburg, Russia, faces #7 Song Yadong (21-7-1 1 NC), representing Heilongjiang , China, in a highly anticipated confrontation. .
Fight fans will also see #11 bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz (20-8 2 NC), fighting out of São Paulo, Brazil, go toe-to-toe with Kyler Phillips (11-2) fighting out of Glendale, Arizona. Exciting Michel Pereira (28-11), fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada, takes on knockout specialist Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-6), fighting out of Barki, Poland, at middleweight.
Dana White Contender Series alum CJ Vergara (12-4-1), fighting out of San Antonio, Texas, clashes with Assu Almabayev (18-2) fighting out of Almaty, Kazakhstan) at flyweight. Heavyweight Robelis Despaigne (4-0) fighting out of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba) makes his UFC debut against Josh Parisian (15-7) fighting out of Escanaba, Michigan.
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer and Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. He is passionate about combat sports and is also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He is also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
