UFC 299: Who is bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley? Record, stats, fight preview

UFC 299 in Miami approaches and the main event is undoubtedly the bantamweight title bout between the champion Sean O'Malley and the contender Marlon Vera.

This isn't the first time these two competitors have squared off. In fact, their history is rather special. O'Malley is a well-respected fighter with a lone blemish on his resume. He's 17-1-0 in his UFC career, with that one loss coming in August 2020 against none other than Marlon Vera. For O'Malley, this fight is likely more than a title defense, but a shot at redemption against the one man who got the better of him.

Here's everything you need to know about the man they call "Suga."

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What is O'Malley's record as a fighter?

As stated earlier, O'Malley has a 17-1-0 record in UFC with one no contest as well. That no contest came on July 2, 2022 against Pedro Munhoz. O'Malley's singular loss came on August 15, 2020 against Marlon Vera as part of UFC 252. Vera won via first-round knockout.

Of O'Malley's 17 wins, 12 have come via knockout, one by submission, and four by decision. Currently, O'Malley ranks eighth in the UFC men's pound-for-pound fighter rankings.

What are O'Malley's measurements?

• Height: 5'11"

• Weight: 135 lbs

• Reach: 72"

• Birthday: Oct. 24, 1994 (29 years old)

When did O'Malley earn the bantamweight championship?

O'Malley earned the bantamweight title with a win over Aljamain Sterling via second-round TKO in his most recent match as part of UFC 292 on August 19, 2023.

Since losing to Vera, O'Malley has appeared at six different UFC events, going 5-0 with one no contest. Saturday will be O'Malley's first bantamweight title defense.

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What are O'Malley's stats?

• Significant Strikes landed per minute (SLpM): 7.25

• Significant Striking Accuracy (Str. Acc.): 61 percent

• Significant Strikes Absorbed per Minute (SApM): 3.51

• Significant Strike Defense (Str. Def.): 61 percent

• Average Takedowns Landed per 15 minutes (TD Avg.): 0.43

• Takedown Accuracy (TD Acc.): 42 percent

• Takedown Defense (TD Def.): 62 percent

• Average Submissions Attempted per 15 minutes (Sub. Avg.): 0.4

For perspective, O'Malley leads all active bantamweight fighters in Significant Striking Accuracy. His 61.2% is nearly three points higher than second-place Jack Shore (58.4%). O'Malley is also first in strikes landed per minute (7.29) and striking differential (3.89).

What to expect from Marlon Vera

O'Malley's opponent, Marlon Vera, won his first fight against O'Malley via knockout. However, most of Vera's fights have been determined via decision. Since beating O'Malley, Vera has gone 5-2 in seven appearances with all but two of those fights coming down to decision. Vera's most recent fight was a win over Pedro Munhoz on August 19, 2023 via unanimous decision.

How to watch UFC 299:

• When: Saturday, March 9, 2024

• Where: Kaseya Center in Miami, FL

• Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

• Stream: ESPN+

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UFC 299: Who is Sean O'Malley? Record, stats, fight preview