Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will send newly-crowned bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley into battle against No. 6-ranked contender Marlon Vera atop the UFC 299 pay-per-view (PPV) event in March, according to UFC CEO Dana White, who announced the 135-pound title fight on social media.
I guess No. 2-ranked Merab Dvalishvili will have to settle for backup.
O’Malley (17-1, 1 NC) captured the crown by stopping Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 last August. There was talk of an immediate rematch (mostly from Sterling) as well as “The Machine” grudge match, but it appears the promotion will capitalize on the “Chito” storyline.
Vera (23-8-1) defeated O’Malley at UFC 252 back in summer 2020 and put together a 5-2 record in the years that followed, which includes his unanimous decision nod over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292 in Boston. This time, O’Malley and Vera will have five rounds to settle their business.
Expect more details on the UFC 299 PPV card (including when and where) in the coming weeks.