From the full card and predictions to the venue and start time, here’s everything fans need to know about UFC 299: O’Malley vs Vera 2.
UFC 299 takes place on Saturday, March 9 from the Kaseya Center in Miami, headlined by Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera in a highly anticipated rematch for the bantamweight world title.
It will be the MMA leader’s third PPV event of 2024 to date, with big names and fantastic matchups scattered throughout a truly stacked card including Dustin Poirier, Gilbert Burns, and Kevin Holland.
Full Fight Card: Who competes at UFC 299?
UFC 299 is set to be headlined by ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley defending his bantamweight world championship for the first time, in a rematch against bitter rival Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.
Vera won the first contest between the two budding superstars in 2020 via TKO. However, the bout was marred by a foot injury suffered by O’Malley in the first round which led to the finishing sequence – scores will be settled when the cage door closes on March 9.
Co-headlining the PPV event will be Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier vs Benoit ‘God of War’ Saint-Denis, a matchup that initially appeared to be in doubt as late as January when Poirier mistakenly announced that a contract hadn’t yet been signed, although the issue was quickly rectified.
Poirier is coming off a vicious KO defeat to Justin Gaethje but has never lost twice in a row in his professional MMA career to date. Meanwhile, Saint-Denis has rattled off five finishes in a row since losing his UFC debut in 2022, all five of which ended inside the distance.
UFC fans will also finally get to see Michael ‘Venom’ Page in action when he takes on fellow fan favorite superstar Kevin ‘Trailblazer’ Holland in the featured bout of the evening.
Brazilian brawler Gilbert ‘Durinho’ Burns takes on rising contender Jack Della Maddalena at welterweight, with the Australian boxer currently riding a stellar 16-fight win streak.
Opening the card will be former bantamweight champion Petr ‘No Mercy’ Yan, who takes on China’s Song ‘Kung Fu Kid’ Yadong in a match that could determine who fights in the next title eliminator after Merab Dvalishvili.
The full card, including the preliminary and early preliminary contests, reads:
- Sean O’Malley (c) vs. Marlon Vera
- Dustin Poirier vs. Benoît Saint Denis
- Kevin Holland vs. Michael Page
- Gilbert Burns vs. Jack Della Maddalena
- Petr Yan vs. Song Yadong
- Curtis Blaydes vs. Jailton Almeida
- Katlyn Cerminara vs. Maycee Barber
- Mateusz Gamrot vs. Rafael dos Anjos
- Pedro Munhoz vs. Kyler Phillips
- Ion Cuțelaba vs. Philipe Lins
- Michel Pereira vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk
- Robelis Despaigne vs. Josh Parisian
- C.J. Vergara vs. Assu Almabayev
- Joanne Wood vs. Maryna Moroz
The official and ceremonial weigh-ins are expected to take place on Friday, March 8.
How to watch UFC 299 and broadcast start time
The UFC 299 main card is an exclusive PPV, meaning fans will have to purchase the event through ESPN+ PPV for $79.99.
The prelims and early prelims will be available to watch via UFC Fight Pass.
UFC 299 is scheduled to start its global broadcast at the following international times:
- Pacific Time – 3 PM (Early prelims), 5 PM (Prelims), 7 PM (Main Card)
- Eastern Time – 6 PM (Early prelims), 8 PM (Prelims), 10 PM (Main Card)
- British Time – 11 PM (Early prelims), 1 AM (Prelims), 3 AM (Main Card)
- European Time – 12 AM (Early prelims), 2 AM (Prelims), 4 AM (Main Card)
- Australia Central Time – 9:30 PM (Early prelims), 11:30 AM (Prelims), 1:30 PM (Main Card)
Where is UFC 298 taking place, and how to get tickets
Fans can still purchase tickets for UFC 299 via the Ticketmaster platform.
At the time of writing, the lowest-priced seats are currently in the upper tier of the Kaseya Center with prices starting from around $400 through Ticketmaster directly.
If you want the best possible viewing experience, there is official platinum seating still available directly next to the octagon that will cost upwards of $4,000 – all ground-level seats are currently priced at approximately $750 and upwards.
Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera is the headliner for only the second UFC event showcased at Miami’s Kaseya Center.
UFC 287: Pereira vs Adesanya 2 also took place in the arena in 2023, in which ‘The Last Stylebender’ delivered a devastating KO to his bitter rival in the second round.
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UFC 299 Predictions – Favorites to win and underdog upsets
With UFC 299 now only a matter of days away, fans around the world are now starting to consider where to put their money.
Per DraftKings Sportsbook, the official sports betting partner of the UFC, there are some notable underdogs that could very well upset the apple cart come March 9:
- Sean O’Malley (Favorite) vs Marlon Vera (Underdog)
- Dustin Poirier (Underdog) vs Benoit Saint-Denis (Favorite)
- Kevin Holland (Favorite) vs Michael Page (Underdog)
- Gilbert Burns (Underdog) vs Jack Della Maddalena (Favorite)
- Petr Yan (Favorite) vs Song Yadong (Underdog)
If the odds remain relatively similar come fight night, Bloody Elbow sees particular value in Dustin Poirier and Song Yadong.
For Poirier, we’ve already seen UFC veterans outclass rising contenders with sizable hype trains several times in 2024; Imavov def. Dolidze and Hermansson def. Pyfer. The latter could be a forecast for how Poirier vs Saint-Denis goes down, surviving an early onslaught of violence only for experience and IQ to take over in rounds 3, 4, and 5. He has also never lost two consecutive fights in his career.
Song Yadong is still only 26 years old (with 29 fights) and has looked fantastic in his last two bouts against Chris Gutierrez and Ricky Simon. Whilst Yan is still a dangerous fighter for anyone at 135lbs, it should only be a matter of time before ‘Kung Fu Kid’ earns himself that big standout victory over a top contender.
Looking at the rest of the card, Blaydes vs Almeida is almost a pick-‘em, RDA is a sizable underdog against Gamrot, as is fellow veteran Pedro Munhoz for his contest vs Phillips – all of which could be interesting lines to consider.
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook are subject to change.
Ones to watch – Two athletes are set to make their debut at UFC 299
There are two athletes making their UFC debut at the PPV event, British fan favorite Michael ‘Venom’ Page and the undefeated Cuban Robelis Despaigne.
Page had been a staple of the Bellator promotion for over a decade, earning both global fame and the support of a dedicated fanbase thanks to his eccentric personality, devastating KO power, and flashy striking style.
If Page can get himself a big win over fellow fan favorite Kevin Holland, especially yet another viral KO to add to the highlight reel, expect the Brit to be catapulted into the world title picture fairly quickly in 2024.
Meanwhile, Robelis Despaigne is an undefeated Cuban fighter who is 4-0 as a professional – all four wins coming by way of first-round KO.
Fans can expect another explosive fight against veteran Josh Parisian on the UFC 299 early prelims, the American is 2-4 in his last six fights in the organization.
UFC 299 goes down on March 9, stay tuned for the latest news and updates for what should be another outstanding PPV event.