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Marlon Vera Successfully Makes Weight for UFC 299 Championship Bout
Marlon Vera, the UFC bantamweight title challenger, experienced a shift in expression from slightly apprehensive to relieved as his weight was announced on Friday morning, confirming that he had successfully met the 135-pound limit on his initial attempt. This development solidified his championship bout against Sean O’Malley at UFC 299.
O’Malley, the reigning titleholder, had already weighed in approximately 45 minutes prior to Vera, effectively setting the stage for their highly anticipated rematch. Notably, Vera is the sole competitor to have defeated O’Malley, an emerging talent who ascended to champion status last summer and is now preparing for his maiden title defense.
Previous Victory Over O’Malley
Vera achieved a technical knockout victory over O’Malley 3.5 years ago at UFC 252, a contest during which O’Malley suffered a leg injury that significantly contributed to his defeat.
Backup Fighter and Contingency Plan
Merab Dvalishvili served as the official backup fighter for the main event, also successfully weighing in at the stipulated 135 pounds on Friday morning. As the current No. 1 contender in the official rankings, Dvalishvili stands ready to step in should either of the headlining fighters be deemed unfit to compete.
Additional Event and Weigh-In Details
- Only one of the 28 fighters scheduled to participate at Kaseya Center on Saturday failed to meet the required weight, with C.J. Vergara tipping the scales at 127 pounds for his non-title flyweight bout.
- Florida Athletic Commission regulations mandate that fighters weigh in between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET on the day of the event to avoid penalties or potential removal from the card. A one-hour grace period is permitted for those who miss weight on the initial attempt, as demonstrated by Vergara.
- Despite missing the mark by one pound and failing to shed the excess weight within the allotted time frame, Vergara will still face Asu Almabayev as scheduled, albeit with a 30% deduction from his purse due to repeated weight misses in his UFC tenure.
Official Weigh-In Results and Fight Card for UFC 299
Below are the official weigh-in results for UFC 299 along with the anticipated bout order:
MAIN CARD
- Sean O’Malley (135) vs. Marlon Vera (135)
- Dustin Poirier (155) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (155)
- Kevin Holland (170) vs. Michael Page (170)
- Gilbert Burns (171) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (170)
- Petr Yan (135) vs. Song Yadong (136)
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Curtis Blaydes (257) vs. Jailton Almeida (241)
- Katlyn Cerminara (125) vs. Maycee Barber (125)
- Mateusz Gamrot (156) vs. Rafael dos Anjos (156)
- Pedro Munhoz (135) vs. Kyler Phillips (135)
- Ion Cutelaba (205) vs. Philipe Lins (206)
- Michel Pereira (186) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (185)
- Robelis Despaigne (261) vs. Josh Parisian (266)
- C.J. Vergara (127*) vs. Assu Almabayev (126)
- Joanne Wood (125) vs. Maryna Moroz (126)
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