The upcoming UFC 299 match on March 9 at Miami is viewed highly as one of the best cards of the year so far. Fireworks and fists flying are expected tonight, with a stacked card from top to bottom that many fans are looking forward to.
The Main Card comes with many different fighters across the UFC, all coming with one intention, to win their fight. Yet, who comes out victorious in the end is precisely what the Chronicle is predicting for tonight.
Petr Yan (#4) vs Song Yadong (#7)
The opening fight of the Main Card starts with the previous Bantamweight Champion (135 lbs) Petr Yan against the upcoming knockout artist from China, Song Yadong. Both fighters have a strong boxing background so expect a fight that is more on the feet than on the ground.
Yadong has had a hot streak recently, having a 10 and 13 record in the UFC, Yan’s experience more than makes his recent fights. Yan, who previously held the Bantamweight Championship back in July of 2020 after defeating UFC legend Jose Aldo, lost it in a controversial disqualification against Aljaming Sterling and was unable to regain his belt in the rematch. Since then, it has been a struggle with his record going 1 and 5 in his recent fights, but expect a change come tonight.
Despite both fighters having a heavy striking-orientated fighting style, expect a slow start and defensive approach initially. Yan is universally recognized as a “Slow Starter”, and with the fight only going for 3 rounds, expect him to put in a decent effort, and have quality punches in the later half of the fight.
Prediction: Petr Yan by Unanimous Decision
Gilbert Burns (#4) vs Jack Della Maddalena (#11)
Now moving up to welterweight (170 lbs), Brazilian Veteran Gilbert Burns takes on Australian prospect Jack Della Maddalena. Once again, in comes experience against skill with Burns having been in the UFC for nine years (he even fought for the title back in 2021), while Della Maddelena, on the other hand, has only been around for two years. In that short span, however, Della Maddelena has maintained a flawless record of 6-0, and has finished four of those fights early.
Expect to see this fight be on both the ground and feet as both fighters have submission and jiu-jitsu experience. The match-up will definitely last all three rounds. In those rounds, however, expect Della Maddelena to win by points. Despite having fought other high-ranking welterweights in his recent matches, some of his fights against lesser-ranked fighters have been way too close, and fans can throw in the fact that he is 37: it really only shows that he has his wrestling & jiu-jitsu to work with, and even if the fight goes to the ground, Della Maddelena also has that experience in mixed martial arts. While his background may not be the same level as Burns’, it is enough to keep distance and not get submitted.
Prediction: Jack Della Maddalena by Unanimous Decision
Kevin Holland (#13) vs Michael Page
Staying in the Welterweight division, up next is Kevin Holland versus Michael Page in his UFC debut, though the latter is far from a rookie. The 36-year-old from England has over 11 years of experience in the octogen, having previously fought in a different MMA promotion (that of Bellator, and he was the champion of the division for a brief period). Having previously been a boxer in his fighting career, his style is definitely oriented towards a striking-heavy approach which shows in his 13 knockouts out of 23 fights, but do not expect one this fight.
Kevin Holland is a match-up that feels catered towards Page. Despite coming off a loss from Della Maddalena, expect a bounce-back in his performance tonight. His fighting game is flexible to say the least, boasting a 25-10 record with 21 of those wins coming from him being split with 13 TKO/KO’s and eight submission victories. Whatever he lacks in boxing and striking compared to Page, he makes up with his ground game and Jiu-jitsu, so if he struggles initially expect him to take the fight to the ground to out-wrestle Page and despite the fight only being three rounds, expect Kevin Holland to finish the fight early with his ground game.
Prediction: Kevin Holland by Submission
Dustin Poirier (#3) vs Benoit Saint-Denis (#12)
Now comes the co-main event where were see two knockout artists at two different points in their careers: the Lightweight (155 lbs) matchup between Veteran Dustin Poirier (#3) and French Phenom Benoit Saint-Denis(#12).
While Poirier is coming off a knock off lost to Justin Gaethje, his 14 years in the UFC and experience against champions including three title fights, and he may prove a challenge against Saint-Denis. Poirier is an experienced fighter who features a record of 29-8, although his mental headspace might be a concern. He has fought three title fights, but not won any in the past, and the Louisiana native was quoted saying, “I know it’s coming, I can’t do this forever. I have a family to be there for… Every time I get in there, Saturday night a piece of me is gonna leave that I can never get back,” in a recent interview leading up to the fight.
Now whether Poirier’s mindset affects his performance this Saturday is unknown, but definitely a cause for concern. It does not help that his opponent, Saint-Denis, has all the momentum right now, especially coming off a vicious first round knockout against his opponent, Matt Frevola. Saint-Denis is not exclusive to knockouts, as he carries a 5-1 record in the UFC, with his one and only coming from a unanimous decision lost in his debut. Since then, he has fought and finished his last five opponents, and it would not be surprising to see him continue his winning streak in Miami.
Despite recent rumors of Saint-Denis carrying a staph infection during pre-photoshoots for the match, the Frenchman with special force experience continues to boost his ranking in the Lightweight division this evening.
Prediction: Benoit Saint-Denis by TKO/KO
Chito Vera (#5) vs Sean O’Malley (Champion)
Now comes the main event fight, which is a headlined rematch between Marlon “Chito” Vera (#5) and Sean “Sugar” O’Malley (C), a Bantamweight match-up. These two have faced off before, all the way back to the pandemic (August 2020) during UFC 252, in which fans saw both fighters early into their careers match up. The result ended with Vera finishing the fight in round 1 after a nerve injury to O’Malley forced the latter to the ground.
Since then, however, fans have seen both fighters grow immensely. O’Malley bounced back with five wins in a row, with the last fight crowing him the champion after beating previous champion (Aljamain Sterling).
Despite a streaky record after his win against O’Malley, Vera has managed to get impressive wins over UFC veterans such as Dominick Cruz and Rob Font. A lot has changed since the two previously fought, and since tonight is a championship fight, that means the match goes for five total 5-minute rounds, which may be a cause for concern as this is Vera’s first championship match.
Audiences will also see a scary matchup between their fighting styles, with O’Malley having 7 knockouts out of 8 wins in the UFC, and with his striking-heavy style, he is able to keep his distance against opponents. Looking at Vera, who does not have as impressive a resume, fans are likely to observe a more flexible style with both wrestling and striking. O’Malley will not show as much experience on the ground, and that will allow Vera to exploit O’Malley’s weakness if he is able to take him to the floor.
With all this in consideration, viewers will most likely see a new champion earn the belt tonight.