The Suga Show has been renewed for another season at the top of the bantamweight division, as Sean O'Malley defeated Marlon “Chito” Vera by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 299 from the Kasya Center in Miami, Florida.
O'Malley got off to a measured start in the first round. The first fight between the two didn't go beyond the first five minutes, but O'Malley took control of the fight with a calculated effort in the first frame this time.
Suga started to open things up in the second round. A flowing knee and several one-man combinations highlighted his efforts on the tour. O'Malley's speed advantage was clear and Vera struggled to fight back before his opponent left the range.
It became clear after three rounds that the challenger would need a knockout to win the fight. O'Malley dominated the first three rounds of the match and built a lead on the scorecards heading into the championship rounds.
Vera showed signs of life in the fourth round. A more aggressive competitor threw and dropped some combinations and made sure he was the first to fire in the exchanges. However, O'Malley ended up having a lot of success on the tour as well.
In the end, Vera was able to avoid a fifth-round finish and showed the toughness he is known for. However, the night was all about O'Malley's dominance and ability to win the fight through five rounds.
The win not only gives O'Malley his first successful title defense, but avenges the only loss of his career. Vera defeated O'Malley by technical knockout (TKO) in the first round after only five fights in the champion's UFC career.
The loss temporarily derailed the hype train. O'Malley's flamboyant and boisterous personality has always attracted attention. Now his skills have taken him to the top of the division.
O'Malley is displaying skills that could keep him at the top for a while. Watching him defeat the only man who has beaten him thus far shows how much growth he has seen in his game. However, the bantamweight division has several worthy competitors.
One person to keep an eye on in the near future is Merab Dvalishvili. The 33-year-old was on a 10-fight winning streak and was on the ropes Reserve fighter for the main event on Saturday.
He recently beat Henry Cejudo by unanimous decision, recovering from some early struggles to dominate the rest of the fight. O'Malley recently gave him props for the effort.
“He had a great performance, too,” O'Malley said of Dvalishvili's win. Mark Raimondi From ESPN. “Henry didn't look great by any means, but Merab did what he does. He almost got taken out and then won. It was impressive. He could very well be next. I like to keep my options open. He could be.” [next.]”
Corey Sandhagen could make some sense too. He is on a three-fight winning streak with wins over Vera and Rob Font, but has not fought since he tore his triceps tendon in the bout against Font in August.
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