UFC 299

UFC 299: O'Malley vs. Vera 2
UFC 299: O'Malley vs. Vera 2
	The poster for UFC 299: O'Malley vs. Vera 2
Information
Promotion	Ultimate Fighting Championship
Date	March 9, 2024
Venue	Kaseya Center
City	Miami, Florida, United States
Attendance	19,165
Total gate	$14,142,904
Event chronology

UFC 299: O'Malley vs. Vera 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 9, 2024, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, United States.^[2]^[3]

Background

The event marked the promotion's third visit to Miami and first since UFC 287 in April 2023.^[3]

A UFC Bantamweight Championship bout between current champion Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera headlined the event.^[4] The pair previously met at UFC 252 in August 2020 which Vera won by first round TKO.^[5] Merab Dvalishvili served as backup and potential replacement for this fight.^[6]

A five round lightweight bout between former interim UFC Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier and Benoît Saint Denis took place in the co-main event.^[7] The bout was briefly in jeopardy when Poirier indicated the bout would not take place as he had never signed a contract and he was unable to come to terms with the promotion.^[8] However, Poirier shortly thereafter retracted his statement describing it as a misunderstanding.^[9]

A heavyweight bout between Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida took place at the event.^[10] They were previously expected to headline UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Lewis in November 2023 but Blaydes withdrew for unknown reasons.^[11]

Ian Machado Garry and Geoff Neal were expected to meet in a welterweight bout at this event.^[12] They were originally booked for UFC 292 in August 2023, but Neal withdrew due to undisclosed health reasons.^[13] However the bout was moved to UFC 298 for unknown reasons.^[14]

Former Invicta FC Bantamweight Champion (also former UFC Women's Flyweight Championship challenger) Lauren Murphy was expected to face Karine Silva in a women's flyweight bout.^[15] However, Murphy pulled out due to injury and Silva is now expected to face former KSW Women's Flyweight Champion Ariane Lipski at UFC on ESPN 55.^[16]^[17]

A light heavyweight bout between Ion Cuțelaba and 2018 PFL heavyweight tournament winner Philipe Lins took place at the event.^[18] They were previously expected to meet at UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green in October 2023 but Lins withdrew the day of the event for unknown reasons.^[19]

At the weigh ins, C.J. Vergara weighed in at 127 pounds, one pound over the flyweight non-title fight limit. His bout proceeded at catchweight and he was fined 30 percent of his purse which went to his opponent Assu Almabayev.^[20]

During the event's broadcast, former UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk was announced as the next "modern wing" UFC Hall of Fame inductee during June's International Fight Week festivities in Las Vegas.^[21]

Results

Fight card
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Bantamweight	Sean O'Malley (c)	def.	Marlon Vera	Decision (unanimous) (50–45, 50–45, 50–44)	5	5:00	^[a]
Lightweight	Dustin Poirier	def.	Benoît Saint Denis	KO (punches)	2	2:32
Welterweight	Michael Page	def.	Kevin Holland	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00
Welterweight	Jack Della Maddalena	def.	Gilbert Burns	KO (knee and elbows)	3	3:43
Bantamweight	Petr Yan	def.	Song Yadong	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00
Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+ / ESPNews)
Heavyweight	Curtis Blaydes	def.	Jailton Almeida	KO (punches)	2	0:36
Women's Flyweight	Maycee Barber	def.	Katlyn Cerminara	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)	3	5:00
Lightweight	Mateusz Gamrot	def.	Rafael dos Anjos	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 30–27)	3	5:00
Bantamweight	Kyler Phillips	def.	Pedro Munhoz	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00
Early preliminary card (ESPN+)
Light Heavyweight	Philipe Lins	def.	Ion Cuțelaba	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00
Middleweight	Michel Pereira	def.	Michał Oleksiejczuk	Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)	1	1:01
Heavyweight	Robelis Despaigne	def.	Josh Parisian	TKO (punches)	1	0:18
Catchweight (127 lb)	Assu Almabayev	def.	C.J. Vergara	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00
Women's Flyweight	Joanne Wood	def.	Maryna Moroz	Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00

^ For the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

^[22]

Bonus awards

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses.^[23]

Fight of the Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Benoît Saint Denis
Performance of the Night: Sean O’Malley, Jack Della Maddalena, Curtis Blaydes, Michel Pereira and Robelis Despaigne