“The Suga Show” comes to Miami when Sean O’Malley defends the UFC bantamweight title against rival Marlon Vera at UFC 299 on March 9.
A man with a colorful personality that matches his hair, O’Malley beat Aljamain Sterling in August to win the bantamweight title. The 29-year-old lost against Vera in 2020 and has since gone 5-0 with one no-contest. In that fight, he was diagnosed with a drop foot following a shot that compromised O’Malley’s peroneal nerve. O’Malley has since created his own narrative that he's still undefeated. He’s ready to prove why that is the case in the rematch.
“I think it was a best-case scenario -- me losing in a fluke way… Chito made weight for that fight, showed up, and kicked my nerve. It's as simple as that,” O’Malley said to ESPN about the fight. “How many thousands of kicks happen in MMA every single year, and how many times does that happen? One, two percent? It was a fluke accident. Yeah, he threw the kick. I'm not taking that away. But the only time he did anything to me was after I was compromised. If he goes and kicks the nerve again, and my leg starts limping out again, maybe I'll just admit, "OK, this m-----f----- knows how to do that." I feel like it might have been a little lucky, but who knows?
WATCH: UFC 299: Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2, exclusively on ESPN+
Vera impressed following an appearance on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. A veteran of the octagon since 2014, "Chito" has gone 5-2 since the O'Malley fight. He’s taken exception to O’Malley claiming the win against him doesn’t count, believing O’Malley is childish. Finally a title contender, he’s ready to go 2-0 against the champion and win gold.
“I won the fight. Say whatever you want. Cry all you want. I don't give a f--- about your feelings. It seems like I won the fight, right? He'll say he won, and the athletic commission scored it for him, I don't know. But the matter of fact is that the records say I won and I was paid double [show money and win bonus]. He can keep crying,” Vera said.
The UFC has started 2024 on a hot note with several stacked events heading into UFC 300. The card for UFC 299 looks fantastic on paper, can the fighters deliver? The names alone have resulted in UFC 299 being a hot ticket.
Here’s all you need to know about UFC 299, including how to buy tickets.
Ticket information for UFC 299: Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2
Tickets are still available for this fight thanks to StubHub.
The lowest price to watch the fight in Miami is $249.
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Prices then range from $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, $4,000, $5,000, $6,000, $7,000, $8,000, $9,000, $11,000, $15,000, and $23,310.
Where is UFC 299?
UFC 299 is in the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Home of the Heat, the arena can hold up to 19,600 people.
UFC 299: Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2 fight date, start time
UFC 299 is on March 9. The early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, with the prelims at 8 p.m. ET. The main card is at 10 p.m. ET. O'Malley and Vera should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Saturday, March 9 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Saturday, March 9 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sunday, March 10 | 11 p.m. GMT | 1 a.m. GMT | 3 a.m. GMT | 5:15 a.m. GMT |
| Australia | Sunday, March 10 | 10 a.m. AEDT | 12 p.m. AEDT | 2 p.m. AEDT | 4:15 p.m. AEDT |
WATCH: UFC 299: Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2, exclusively on ESPN+
UFC 299: Sean O'Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2 live stream, channel
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Saturday, March 9 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Saturday, March 9 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sunday, March 10 | TNT Sports, TNT Sports Box Office |
| Australia | Sunday, March 10 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
UFC 299 fight card
Main Card
- Sean O'Malley (c) vs. Marlon Vera 2 for the UFC bantamweight title
- Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint Denis; Lightweights
- Kevin Holland vs. Michael "Venom" Page; Welterweights
- Gilbert Burns vs. Jack Della Maddalena; Welterweights
- Petr Yan vs. Song Yadong; Bantamweights
Prelims
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida; Heavyweights
- Katlyn Chookagian vs. Maycee Barber; Flyweights
- Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael dos Anjos; Lightweights
- Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips; Bantamweights
Early Prelims
- Michel Pereira vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk; Middleweights
- Robelis Despaigne vs. Josh Parisian; Heavyweights
- C.J. Vergara vs. Assu Almabayev; Flyweights
- Joanne Wood vs. Maryna Moroz; Flyweights