Booking UFC 299 Main Card Winners Including Sean O’Malley

Sean O’Malley left nothing to the imagination. In what will likely stand as one of the most lopsided five decisions of the year, Sean O’Mally looked nearly flawless while exacting his revenge on Marlon “Chito” Vera. 

While Sean O’Malley took his post-fight mic time to make his case for a move up to featherweight to challenge Ilia Topuria, the bantamweight division has a clear-cut number one contender on deck. Merab Dvalishvili is next. No super fight shenanigans should stand in his way. Dvalishvili is fresh off of a dominant three round decision over Henry Cejudo at UFC 298.

Dustin Poirier vs. Mateusz Gamrot 

The sun hasn’t set for Dustin Poirier. In one of his signature wild fights, the former interim champion weathered an onslaught from Benoit Saint-Denis before putting leather on the Frenchman’s chin to force the second round stoppage.

Dustin Poirier has now forced his way back into the conversation surrounding the lightweight title. UFC 300 will feature a number one contender bout along with Justin Gaethje defending his BMF belt. That leaves the “Diamond” no one else in the top 5 available. 

However, fellow UFC 299 winner Mateusz Gamrot could use a dance partner. Gamrot entered Saturday as the number six ranked contender and Poirier can force a crowd pleaser out of him. Earlier in the evening Gamrot earned a decision over former champ Rafael Dos Anjos. 

Michael Page vs. Vicente Luque/Joaquim Buckley winner

Michael “Venom” Page gave the UFC welterweight division a taste of what the Bellator roster felt for years. Retaining his blend of sport karate and gamesmanship, Page coasted to a unanimous decision over Kevin Holland. 

Page’s flashy but limited style and high profile means that there will be no shortage of 170 pounders that will volunteer to be his next assignment. But let’s look to the winner of Vicente Luque and Joaquim Buckley. Page against either man will likely lead to a fun style clash while establishing the hierarchy of fringe contenders. Luque and Buckley are scheduled for a co-main in a March Atlantic City fight night.

Jack Della Maddalena vs. Shavkat Rakhmanov

Jack Della Maddalena scored his biggest win in dramatic fashion. Just when things seemed headed towards Gilbert Burns riding a position battle to the final bell and a likely decision win, the Australian pulled off an improbable escape to set up the knockout. 

Maddalena is clearly a force to reckon with at welterweight and will firmly in the top 10 of the division when the rankings are updated. Previous to the post-fight call out of Shavkat Rakhmanov, a meeting with Sean Brady sounded like the right way to go. But without a line of fighters begging to take on the undefeated “Nomad,” that pairing sounds perfect. 

Rakhmanov was last seen in a submission win over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC 296.

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo/Cody Garbrandt winner

Any talk about Petr Yan being old news can be put to bed for the time being. After a typical slow first round, the former bantamweight champion found his rhythm to earn a unanimous decision over Song Yadong. Yan adjusted well to the young contender’s aggressive approach by turning it up on his end. 

While he proved that he can still earn wins over some of the best in the division, Yan still has some work to do to offset the three-fight skid he just snapped. That’s why a fight with the winner of Deiveson Figueiredo and Cody Garbrandt should be next. The winner between this pyramid of former belt holders can jump right into the title picture. Figueiredo and “No Love” are slated for a prelim showcase at UFC 300.