Subscribe
Follow Us
The time has finally come and we're ready to bring you our prediction and pick for the headlining bout at UFC 299 from sunny Miami, Florida. A rematch in the making, the Bantamweight Championship will be on the line. Bantamweight Champion Sean O'Malley will defend against No. 5-ranked Marlon “Chito” Vera as the two hash-out their bad blood. Check out our UFC odds series for our O'Malley-Vera prediction and pick.
Sean O'Malley (17-1) comes in with a 9-1 UFC record en route to capturing his first Bantamweight strap. After edging Petr Yan in a split decision, O'Malley completed his sweep by knocking Aljamain Sterling out in his last fight, to which he immediately offered Vera the rematch. It'll also be a chance to avenge the only blemish on his record. O'Malley stands 5'11” with a 72-inch reach.
Chito Vera (23-8-1) has gone 15-7 during his UFC career since 2014. He's won five of his last six fights in impressive fashion and he's been calling for this rematch through all of it. Following his loss to Cory Sandhagen, he unanimously beat Pedro Munhoz and earns this rematch as the only fighter to have beaten O'Malley. Vera stands 5'8″ with a 70.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC 299 Odds: Sean O'Malley-Chito Vera 2 Odds
Sean O'Malley: -260
Chito Vera: +220
Over 4.5 rounds: -155
Under 4.5 rounds: +125
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Sean O'Malley Will Win
Against doubters and against odds, Sean O'Malley was able to find the perfect punch against Aljamain Sterling and capture his first championship win. O'Malley will be the first to say he envisioned this moment all along and he's been able to deliver every step of the way thus far. For him, this fight means something as he gets a chance to prove Vera's first win over him faulty. He was on a rocket ship to the top of the division, so it'll be exciting to see how long he can stay atop the division for. Clearly for O'Malley, this serves as the perfect title defense against an opponent he knows he can beat.
Sean O'Malley improved exponentially during each fight as he climbed his way to the top, but there's often an even larger increased in a fighter's skill level once they become champion. O'Malley already had all the confidence in the world, but now he's fighting with a sense of validation knowing he's the best 135-er on the planet. With this comes an even greater sense of confidence and we should be seeing O'Malley in his sharpest form to-date.
Why Chito Vera Will Win
Chito Vera has taken his losses on the chin and continued to fight for an opportunity at the belt once again. With O'Malley becoming champ, it set up the perfect opportunity for Vera to become the next opponent and finally get the fight he's been calling for. Sure, O'Malley's leg became compromised during their first meeting. But Chito Vera inflicted the damage, finished the job, and came out as the more durable fighter that night. He'll have the same confidence coming into this rematch and he'll be fighting with an added sense of bad blood given O'Malley's position.
Over his last few fights, we've certainly seen Chito Vera slow down a bit in terms of his hand speed and movement. That doesn't make him any less dangerous, but he'll certainly have to adapt his game and throw a different look at O'Malley this second time around. He's a longtime jiu-jitsu black belt under Jason Parillo and he'll certainly have an advantage here. He's extremely creative with his submission attempts so we could see Chito throw some unusual looks at O'Malley throughout this one.
Final Sean O'Malley-Chito Vera 2 Prediction & Pick
This is one of the more exciting rematches we've seen in recently memory and the champion Sean O'Malley will have a chance to redeem his only loss against the same man that handed it to him. Chito Vera is in his prime and believes this is the time for him to claim what he thinks is rightfully his.
We'll be seeing the best version of Sean O'Malley ahead of this fight and if he's able to find his flow-state during his striking rhythm, this could be a long night for Chito Vera. His hands will be faster this time around and he'll be throwing his punches with great precision. If Vera slips up for even a minute, O'Malley will catch him clean.
Still, this fight means a lot to Chito Vera as he's been at this game for a long time. He'll be throwing his shots with bad intentions and he'll have the confidence knowing he hung in with O'Malley the first time around.
For our prediction, I like Chito Vera to get this upset and win the belt. It perfectly sets up a trilogy between the two fighters and I have the sense Vera will shock everyone with an unusual submission or stunning win. Still, O'Malley is a heavy favorite for a reason and he'll be in control for the majority of the rounds.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Sean O'Malley-Chito Vera 2 Prediction & Pick: Chito Vera (+220)
