The Final Combating Championship’s return to South Florida featured some fireworks on Saturday night time, each within the ring and within the stands.
The UFC 299 card — headlined by the world championship bantamweight match-up between defending champion Sean “Suga” O’Malley and contender Marlon Vera — marked the second main UFC occasion held in Miami up to now yr. The earlier one, UFC 287 in April 2023, was additionally hosted on the Kaseya Heart.
Let’s relive the sights and sounds of the punch-each-other-in-the-face circus that rolled via city courtesy of UFC 299.
Up to now, showcasing the Metropolis of Miami earlier than a sporting occasion largely consisted of South Seashore business cutaways to Will Smith’s “Welcome to Miami.” Nevertheless, as the town has turn into a world-class host to main sporting occasions, promoters have executed a greater job of giving the world a glimpse into what South Florida seems and seems like.
This time round, the UFC gave viewers a style of what it is prefer to be a center schooler rising up in South Florida by taking a pair of UFC fighters, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Alexandre Pantoja, on an airboat experience and alligator sightseeing tour — thanks, Mr. Dana White!
The Hulk, aka Ion Cuțelaba, lived as much as his identify by attending weigh-ins on Friday afternoon in head-to-toe inexperienced physique paint — terrifying. No sum of money ought to ever coax one other human to sq. off with this individual, not even to thumb-wrestle, by no means thoughts truly wrestle.
Cuțelaba would go on to beat Philipe Lins by unanimous determination. That every one-agreed-upon determination would possibly as effectively have been that Lins was fortunate to have left the cage alive.
🚨President Trump enters UFC 299 in Miami to PACKED ROARING stadium
As has turn into a twisted UFC custom, the forty fifth President of america, Donald Trump, made a grand entrance throughout the primary card in Miami. Trotting in together with his signature half-fist pump, Trump waltzed in subsequent to UFC President and longtime supporter Dana White to catch the larger fights of the night time.
For those who’re questioning how Trump was obtained, the reply is significantly better than many locations: As a result of Miami! Roars of “USA” and “Fuck Joe Biden” unfold via the world as a few of South Florida’s most steady folks cheered on their king.
It is going nice. Actually. Thanks for asking, remainder of the world.
Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, getting back from some big-time strain positioned on him earlier within the battle, put the bullying on Benoît Saint-Denis to earn the second-round stoppage and battle of the night time. Saint-Denis was a rising star coming into the battle, and for a lot of the battle, it regarded like he would possibly use the tail-end of Poirier’s profession as a nationwide stepping-stone.
Till it did not. Diamond pummeled him with a barrage of punches earlier than the referee put an finish to the abuse. The comeback win was adequate to get the fighters each a pleasant Battle of the Evening bonus to pad their purses, that are notoriously a joke in comparison with what they need to be paid.
OUCH!!! Marlon Vera took an enormous hit from Sean O’Malleys knee. Fairly certain he cracked his cranium…. that didn’t sound good. What a battle that is #UFC299pic.twitter.com/rV2clOZw0j
There are fixed reminders all through a UFC broadcast that these are ruthless folks getting into the ring. You must have a sure pressure of DNA in your physique to enter the octagon with the mindset of “kill or be killed.” For those who’re watching out of your sofa at residence, chances are high regardless of what number of days per week you go to the health club to spar or pound a boxing bag, you aren’t that man, pal.
A chief instance of what units UFC fighters aside from housetrained adults got here within the championship battle, when Sean O’Malley cocked again and positioned a supersonic “Dragonball Z” knee on to the cheekbone of Marlon Vera. The sound the knee because it struck Vera’s face reverberated all through the world the Miami Warmth known as residence, drawing “eww” and “ahh” bellows from the group.
O’Malley wound up strolling away with a unanimous determination to retain his bantamweight title.
We’re unsure what was extra spectacular — O’Malley touchdown the knee or Vera consuming it and competing for 20 extra minutes. These dudes are one thing else.
