‘The Belt Will Be Mine’

UFC 299 blew the roof off Kaseya Center in Miami, Fla., this past weekend (Sat. March 9, 2024), leaving plenty of fighters feeling the post-fight blues. Among them was Jailton Almeida, who had his 15-fight win streak snapped by Curtis Blaydes, who knocked him out in round two (see it again here).

And Benoit Saint-Denis, who came into his 155-pound showdown with Dustin Poirier compromised (details here) and paid the price for it in the second round of their pivotal Lightweight affair (see it again here). But, which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Marlon Vera.

Coming into his rematch against current Bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley, “Chito” had the confidence of being the first (and only) person to ever defeat “Suga,” knocking him out at UFC 252 in Aug. 2020 (watch it).

This time around, though, it was for all the marbles.

O’Malley was adamant that the only reason Vera defeated him had to do as a result of the leg injury he suffered prior to the technical knockout, vowing to demonstrate what he was truly capable of at full health.

And he delivered.

From the jump, O’Malley was on point using his speed, movement and striking to tag “Chito” pretty much at will. That’s not to say Vera didn’t have one or two moments, but O’Malley pretty much dictated the entire 25-minute fight, getting his much desired revenge and bragging rights after winning a unanimous decision. For Vera, it was a not the performance he was looking for because he never really had much offense to offer.

It’s a tough loss for the Ecuadorian, who will now have an even tougher path to travel if he ever wants to get back to another title fight. That’s because the bantamweight division is talent rich with several rising contenders eager for their shot, which means Vera will have to not only win, but do it impressively.

Still, Vera is confident he will make it back to the big dance.

“I dream about last night my whole life and fell short at the end of the day. I will be back. Thanks to my family and team for being by my side,” he wrote on Instagram. “The love of Ecuador was felt more than ever, thank you for supporting me that way I will come back stronger, the belt will be mine one day”

As far as what could be next for Vera, perhaps a showdown against Petr Yan is in order. “No Mercy” snapped his three fight losing streak at UFC 299 by defeating Song Yadong, putting him back into the win column for the first time in 2.5 years.

Yan is currently ranked No. 4, while Vera sits at No. 5, and it’s a nice matchup between a former champion and one-time title contender. Both men are looking to get back into the championship picture, and the winner here gets him one step closer to another fight against the “biggest star in bantamweight history.”

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For complete UFC 299 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.