Sean O’Malley’s star rose another notch after boxing beautifully en route to a successful maiden defence of his bantamweight title, avenging the only loss on his record against Marlon Vera. Elsewhere, Dustin Poirier and Petr Yan returned to winning ways with contrasting displays while former women’s flyweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk became the latest UFC Hall of Fame inductee.
O’Malley outclasses Vera in rematch
- O’Malley calls for Ilia Topuria showdown: “Felt like something snapped in his face [after that knee], it feels good to get that one back, Chito’s as tough as it gets. Dana, get me a jet to Spain! Ilia excites me but I’m here for whatever… if you guys want me to KO Merab [Dvalishvili], I’ll do that.”
- Vera insists he’ll be back stronger for the experience: “This isn’t it for me, I’ll be back and better. We can talk shit to each other but I know Sean’s a good striker, I tried to stay toe-to-toe with him and hurt him at the end but ran out of time. To my team and family, I won’t disappoint you again.”
- Joe Rogan says O’Malley’s precision and footwork were “on another level” while Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier most impressed by the 29-year-old’s output increase in the final round as he “painted a masterpiece” during an evening where everything came together perfectly for him
- A monster, an unstoppable force: The pair also heap praise on #1 ranked contender Dvalishvili, who watched cageside and is expected to feature as O’Malley’s next title defence likely in the third quarter of 2024
50-45, 50-45, 50-44: Sean O’Malley (c) bt. Marlon Vera [5], retains UFC bantamweight championship in first title defence
ON a night the UFC announced their biggest total attendance gate for an event not involving Conor McGregor, it feels fitting someone who idolised the Irishman’s rise from homeless to double champion status would headline a stacked PPV card.
Sean O’Malley still had work to do against a determined contender in Marlon Vera, the only man to hold a victory – foot injury notwithstanding – over him. It was gruelling but he did so with style, precision and flashy fluidity over 25 minutes.
On his 12th UFC appearance, the maturity and fight IQ was clear to see in real-time – as was the difference in their speed – Vera needing to produce more activity as far as striking output to avoid O’Malley establishing a rhythm.
That proved easier said than done, judging by his reactions early in round two, as the champion’s feints froze him and the shell guard only served to give O’Malley a bigger target to aim at, touching the body then opening up the head.
High kicks and particularly a perfectly-placed knee up the middle would’ve iced most other challengers but not Vera, dazed but not out of contention despite being dropped to a knee in the final seconds of a decisive round by O’Malley’s right hand.
Clearly in his flow state now, O’Malley mixed up attacks well and chained together combinations in R3 as Vera couldn’t match him despite landing a few low leg kicks.
Jason Parillo produced an excellent coach’s minute in the corner as they entered the championship rounds, encouraged by Vera’s final few moments – being more aggressive and stinging O’Malley with a right – rather than a static visual.
The crowd roared their encouragement in the fourth as he landed a knee and charged forward, hitting the champion with jabs, whizzing a few power shots for good measure while throwing caution to the wind. He needed to.
O’Malley’s nose was leaking blood by this stage, Vera now pressing the action and while defensively vulnerable, this tactic proved his best way to an unlikely rally here.
Unfortunately for him though, Suga wasn’t worried by the uptick in volume as he boxed beautifully with time on his side. Jabs found their target, body work persisted as they entered a final round with the champion up 40-36 and in control.
Rather than fight tentatively, O’Malley welcomed the oncoming pressure during a final round where Vera seriously hurt him with a disguised left hook to the body at the horn, a moment which typified how frustrating the evening proved to be for an Ecuadorian who couldn’t get going until it was too late. We’ve heard that one before.
Poirier wins gunslinger with Saint-Denis in Fight of the Night
- With this victory, the former interim titlist is now tied with most knockouts in UFC divisional history (9) with Drew Dober
- When asked about his comeback win, Poirier extends praise for bullish foe: “I was getting beaten, Benoit’s pretty strong and dangerous with a never-say-die attitude, he fought one of my friends and I honour this game – Eddie Alvarez gave me the shot in Dallas, I pay it forward and have a lot of respect for him, what he stands for, so if he chooses to, he’ll be back.”
R2, 2:23 – Dustin Poirier [3] bt. Benoit Saint-Denis [12] via KO
It’s not a sustainable way to compete, but judging by his passionate post-fight speech, Dustin Poirier doesn’t mind. He survived an overwhelming first-round where Benoit Saint-Denis’ recklessness caught everyone off guard, timing his boxing entries better and it paid dividends soon after to remind everyone he’s not done just yet.
The 35-year-old scored two knockdowns in quick succession, left uppercut then a right hook, sealing a dramatic win against an in-form contender with aplomb.
Things seemed almost a little too perfect early on for the two-time title challenger, threatening a guillotine choke early up against the cage and stress-testing the Frenchman’s grappling credentials.
Saint-Denis is said to have done some wrestling training in Bulgaria for this camp and didn’t seem to mind mixing the martial arts against Poirier, landing some good knees, body kicks and holding his own as they traded looping shots.
They expended energy aplenty during a busy opening round but Saint-Denis fared better, finishing it strong with an armbar attempt and favourable ground position.
“He’s not on your level!” was the cry from Poirier’s boxing coach Dyah Davis between rounds, believing his charge had shown the Frenchman far too much respect, while head coach Mike Brown urged no more guillotine attempts.
That advice was ignored almost immediately after appearing to rock Saint-Denis forward into his path against the cage with a left hand, pushing for the same choke and the 28-year-old’s head popped out shortly afterwards to relieve pressure.
Soon enough Benoit found an opening to capitalise upon himself, getting into a mounted position before threatening a neck crank, and the pair exchanged furiously in the pocket once on their feet again.
Poirier’s poise was key here, punishing the younger man in their frantic exchanges for being a touch overzealous defensively, made to pay rather decisively for the privilege.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk: Second woman into UFC Hall of Fame
- At the time of writing, Joanna still holds records for most significant strikes landed-per-minute in women’s strawweight history (6.59), highest striking differential (3.37), longest win streak (8), most title fight wins (6)
- She became the first Polish-born champion in UFC history, first female European and third European titlist after Bas Rutten and Andrei Arlovski
“No fights, no money. I was losing my energy and six months before my UFC debut, I wanted to retire.”
It’s a blessing she found the strength to continue and produce as she did, because Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s legacy in the sport is one very few can match.
At a time where female MMA was still widely dismissed, especially in a lower weight class such as the strawweight division (115lbs), the Polishwoman’s skills on the big stage were a perfect advert for why detractors should care. They soon took notice.
Less than three full years after transitioning into the discipline having been a five-time Muay Thai world champion, she had racked up nine MMA wins and snatched gold from Carla Esparza – who seven years later won the strap again.
For what it’s worth, it’s been four years since *that* first Zhang Weili fight and I still believe – on multiple rewatches – she edged it three rounds to two and should’ve become a two-time champion. That fight will soon join the Hall of Fame on its own.
She never stopped chasing gold after losing it, even going up a division to face Valentina Shevchenko, and perhaps history would remember the 36-year-old even more fondly had she taken decisive losses more graciously or got the nod that night.
It was part of her bold, abrasive personality and worked a charm whether you rooted for, or against her. You need irrational confidence to achieve the heights she managed, topping a division devoid of real stability even up until now.
Armed with five title defences and the record holder for most significant strikes in UFC women’s history (1,754), Joanna did things her way and is a fitting second female inductee after former bantamweight queen Ronda Rousey six years ago.
Page pips Holland in frantic debut
29-28, 29-28, 29-28: Michael Page bt. Kevin Holland [13]
- Page’s post-fight interview: “I think the UFC got to me a little bit, the brand, but the difference is everyone working for them is so on point, got me here in great condition – probably the best I’ve ever felt – Kevin’s just a tough guy. I’ve got a lot more work to do but this is where I’m supposed to be and for anyone doubting me, you can see it for yourself.”
“I hear you, faster than we thought,” was a succinct assessment from Kevin Holland to his corner after five minutes against Michael ‘Venom’ Page.
The pair exchanged wild shots as he tried problem-solving against a fellow rangy striker – one piecing him apart at distance, making the 31-year-old bite on feints before swarming forwards with flashy attacking sequences when openings appeared.
Holland eventually found a takedown near the midway point of the second-round, Page grounded temporarily after missing an acrobatic kick and suddenly having to scamper away from potentially being choked unconscious up against the cage as strikes flew with the #13 ranked contender briefly in top position. False alarm.
That sequence was one of few truly successful periods for Holland, who grew frustrated and found himself a rare second best in the gamesmanship department.
A debutant eager to make his presence felt, in many different ways – from his Undertaker-themed walkout to the high-flying tricks he unleashed, Holland’s durability meant it never felt like he would be the latest to join the Englishman’s long highlight reel but equally too far away to truly do him sustained damage either.
Maddalena leaves it late to stun Burns
R3, 3:40 – Jack Della Maddalena [11] bt. Gilbert Burns [4]
- JDM calls his shot: “Gilbert stayed in there for a while and he’s the man, there’s some scary people in the division but I’m the scariest. Shavkat Rakhmonov, me and you could make a hell of a title eliminator, let’s go.”
- “I respect your courage and confidence Jack, but you will face the same fate as my previous opponents,” says #3 ranked contender on social media
- With late finish, 27-year-old Australian now has tied #6 ranked Ian Machado Garry for the longest-active win streak at welterweight (7)
After an underwhelming display in victory over Kevin Holland last time out, Jack Della Maddalena needed to be better to prevail against one-time title challenger Gilbert Burns. It wasn’t perfect, but winning ugly in the face of better opposition will stand him in good stead as challenges undoubtedly intensify with time.
Burns, 37, cornered Ange Loosa during the Aussie’s win on Dana White’s Contender Series in Sept. 2021 – six months after his unsuccessful championship clash with Kamaru Usman – and the well-connected Brazilian would’ve known the type of challenge here against a hungry young upstart looking to seize the moment.
That served as an intriguing subplot to a matchup where Durinho, a four-time jiu-jitsu world champion, needed to showcase polished stand-up skills given Maddalena’s awareness of his ground fighting pedigree and so it proved.
Unwilling to sit on his top-5 ranking at 170lbs, he was paying forward the opportunity against someone ten years his junior and while solid for sustained periods, this ultimately ended rather emphatically on his 22nd promotional appearance.
Both had success in the opening frame, Gilbert’s superior grappling and JDM’s striking variance across from him making it a difficult round to score. Yet by 3:50 in R2, the veteran had four takedowns and was consciously throwing haymakers compared to the Australian’s patient, polished pressure in their stand-up exchanges.
A stiff elbow and whipping right were the most noteworthy strikes in a competitive second stanza, both by Durinho, finishing the round with a body triangle and more ground control precisely when he needed it most.
JDM’s corner called for their man to finish the contest in the final round and he threatened one, immediately after absorbing a high kick early on. A slick flurry of punches appeared to wobble Burns, who charged for a takedown and eventually sunk it in against the cage with commentators bemoaning a missed opportunity.
Time ticking down and not in the Australian’s favour, he made more technical mistakes from a defensive position as Burns tightened his top control before eventually getting back to his feet with a beautiful reversal from back control.
A perfectly-placed knee rocked Burns once they returned to the feet, Della Maddalena sensed blood and rained down follow-up strikes for a career-best victory.
Yan back in the win column
29-28, 29-28, 29-28: Petr Yan [4] bt. Song Yadong [7]
- “One year I don’t fight, I’m very happy [with the win], it’s important and I’m back! I want all the hard fights, doesn’t matter who’s next – appreciate your support, rematch season open, let’s go,” Yan in post-fight speech, acknowledging the Miami crowd who warmly cheered him on
Everyone knows Petr Yan starts fights slowly, against a Song Yadong who wanted nothing less than to seize his top-5 ranking in a division he once ruled not long ago.
Yet three consecutive defeats, two via split decision, had seen the ruthless Russian’s stock plummet and it was imperative he got back to winning ways against a fun (and still very young, at 26) contender in Yadong whose striking defence leaves a little to be desired at the top level, but is a deficiency masked by his all-action style.
Whipping uppercuts and body shots were Yan’s method of choice as he boxed well and moved better in round two, slicing elbows the pick of his shots to finish a more assertive round on top after completing a well-timed takedown.
The pair exchanged acrobatic kicks early in the final stanza, Yan displaying steely balance and dexterity to fend off takedowns while Yadong pressed the issue during a nip-and-tuck contest a grateful Miami crowd marvelled at.
A timely takedown and d’arce choke attempt surely edged it for him, earning a decision victory to finally snap his streak being the wrong side of judges’ scorecards.
Prelim results, as Blaydes and Phillips win big
Longtime heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes [5] defended his ranking, banishing a sluggish R1 to swarm rising prospect Jailton Almeida without warning before calling to complete unfinished business with interim champion Tom Aspinall.
The #7 ranked talent logged a divisional record nine takedowns in the first stanza, though fighter-turned-analyst and coach Din Thomas’ words on the broadcast proved eerily prophetic less than a minute into the second frame.
“I’m not sure I agree with Almeida’s corner, he dominated him and looks good but don’t hurt your opponent, he’ll be right in there with you. Just wrestling him isn’t enough,” he said and that foreshadowed a frantic finish shortly afterwards.
A sneaky right uppercut appeared to turn Almeida’s lights off as he scrambled to score a takedown, Blaydes rained down on him with more than 15 unanswered hammer fists against the cage, snapping the Brazilian’s 15-fight winning streak.
She didn’t look too pleased when the scores were read, but Maycee Barber [6] will be a top-5 ranked contender next week at women’s flyweight after outpointing former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara [4] (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) over 15 minutes.
Mateusz Gamrot [6] thanked former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos for giving him the opportunity to face someone he watched as his love for MMA grew many years ago, logging seven minutes’ control time and landing 55% of his 102 significant strikes (57 to RDA’s 36) en route to a UD3 (29-28 x 2, 30-27) win over the Brazilian.
Whether he’ll get an opportunity to test his wrestling skills against reigning champion Islam Makhachev next year like he stated post-fight, remains to be seen.
Kyler Phillips will have a number next to his name after Tuesday’s rankings update, after outpointing longtime contender Pedro Munhoz [12] over 15 minutes.
Early prelims
Light-heavyweight: Philipe Lins bt. Ion Cutelaba via UD3 (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Middleweight: Michel Pereira bt. Michal Oleksiejczuk via R1 submission (rear-naked choke, 1:01)
Heavyweight: Robelis Despaigne bt. Josh Parisian via R1 TKO (punches, 0:18)
Flyweight: Assu Almabayev bt. C. J. Vergara via UD3 (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Women’s flyweight: Joanne Wood bt. Maryna Moroz via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via UFC broadcast
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