5 biggest takeaways from UFC 299: Time for Sean O’Malley to do right by bantamweight division
March 10, 2024 6:30 pm ET
What mattered most at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center in Miami? Here are a few post-fight musings.
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5
Is a Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes rematch next?
Curtis Blaydes put himself back in the heavyweight contender title mix when he hammerfisted Jailton Almeidaâs head into next week for a second-round TKO after get stifled by the Brazilianâs grappling in the first frame.
Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) called for a rematch with interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall after his triumph, and it was pretty well received. Why? Because it makes sense given the messy state of the weight class at the moment.
We know the deal. Weâre all waiting for Jon Jones to return from injury to fight Stipe Miocic. Aspinall has been annoyed by the situation, but has seemingly opened up to the idea of defending the interim belt while Jones and Miocic handle their business.
The problem with that, however, is there wasnât a completely sensible opponent for him to face. Until now. Blaydes hold a 15-second TKO win over Aspinall from July 2022, but it came as the result of an injury when Aspinall blew out his knee just seconds into the UFC Fight Night 208 main event in London.
Itâs always seemed logical to run that fight back, and now with Blaydes getting the emphatic win, itâs a good idea. And Aspinall agrees, as he stated on social media after the event (via X):
4
Does Petr Yan have another title run in him?
Petr Yan got the most crucial win of his career when he outworked Song Yadong for a unanimous decision to snap his three-fight losing streak.
The former UFC bantamweight champion Yan (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) needed this one in the worst of ways. Many people, myself included, thought Yan was going to be a long-reigning champion when he won the belt. But it just got weird afterward, starting with becoming the first fighter in UFC history to lose a title by disqualification when he landed an illegal knee on Aljamain Sterling in March 2021.
Thereâs an argument to be made that Yan should have beaten Sean OâMalley in October 2022. He got thwarted by Merab Dvalishvili â like everyone does â but in this fight against Song he showed heâs still very relevant at 135 pounds.
Yan needs another top-ranked contender next. If he can win that and get some momentum, then look out.
3
Can Michael Page become a contender?
Former Bellator title challenger Michael Page delivered in his debut with a unanimous decision win over Kevin Holland, proving many naysayers wrong that his unique style wouldnât translate to the UFC level.
Holland largely was a willing participant in letting Page (22-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) style on him. That wonât be the case for many other welterweights in the promotion, but at minimum, âMVPâ earned the chance to fight them.
At 37, itâs hard to think Page can make a legitimate title run. However, he does have an advantage if Leon Edwards continues to reign in that a fight between them would be huge in the U.K. Heâs going to need a couple more wins, though, or some extreme luck to break his way.
2
Dustin Poirier won’t go away just yet
Dustin Poirier showed heâs still an elite lightweight contender when he stifled the rise of Benoit Saint Denis with a classic fight and second-round knockout finish in the co-main event.
Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) took a huge risk in accepting the matchup with Saint Denis, which is the type of fight many accused him of never being willing to take. It looked like a bad idea to start, but Poirierâs boxing once again came through for him as he survived the storm and put the lights out on Saint Denis.
The result adds to Poirierâs many records, and keeps him in the mix for a 155-pound title shot. At this point, heâs not more deserving than Justin Gaethje if he beats Max Holloway, or the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan â both of which take place at UFC 300 on April 13. But if some reason things donât line up right for other contenders, or the timeline somehow shifts in his favor, itâs not impossible he could find himself in another championship opportunity sooner rather than later.
1
It’s time for Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Sean OâMalley got what he wanted for his first title defense in avenging his lone career loss against Marlon Vera by unanimous decision.
All due to respect to âChito,â but he wasnât the most deserving title challenger. Itâs totally understandable why the fight happened from OâMalley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC), Vera and the UFCâs angle. The storyline of this rematch was juicer than anything else that could be done in the bantamweight division given the result of the first meeting, and itâs impossible to know when it would be at least logical to put it together any other time.
The outcome was a completely uncompetitive fight, though, and now itâs time to get serious.
We should all be happy OâMalleyâs callout of featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for UFCâs debut in Spain seemingly fell on deaf ears with UFC CEO Dana White. That means itâs time to give a rightful challenger a shot at the belt, and that would be Merab Dvalishvili.
With 10 straight wins and a style thatâs seemingly a huge nightmare for OâMalley, a showdown with Dvalishvili (17-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC is the most intriguing championship bout that can be made at 135 pounds. There shouldnât be a slight consideration given to anything else, and if the UFC goes any other direction for OâMalleyâs next fight, it would be a massive injustice.
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