Sean O’Malley believes that he’s one of the biggest stars in combat sports today, but before “Suga” is crowned the next Conor McGregor he’ll need to defend his UFC bantamweight title against Marlon Vera later tonight (Sat., Mar. 9, 2024) at UFC 299 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
O’Malley, who is undeniably one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster today, shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world at UFC 292 in Aug. 2022 by stopping Aljamain Sterling with a first-round knockout to claim the 135-pound crown. It was a tremendous victory for O’Malley and a win that launched his UFC stock into even greater heights, but fight fans still need more.
If “Suga” is going to transform into the next biggest star in combat sports he’ll need to continue his excellence inside of the cage. Furthermore, O’Malley will need to create buzz around his fights in order for fans to purchase a ticket to watch him compete live or pay UFC’s hefty $80 PPV price tag. It’s part of the game, especially when one champion is trying to stand out among 10 others.
Luckily, O’Malley’s quest to become UFC’s biggest cash cow is off to a good start. On Thursday, UFC CEO, Dana White, announced during UFC 299’s pre-fight press conference that the event’s final gate was $13.75 million. That’s an astonishing amount. UFC 299’s complete lineup is one of the best of the year, but O’Malley’s first title defense is being featured atop the PPV card
Check out White’s announcement below:
If White’s calculations are accurate that means UFC 299 produced the fourth-highest gate in UFC history. That is only behind UFC 205, UFC 229, and UFC 264, which were all headlined by McGregor. That would indicate that O’Malley is on his way to becoming one of the most marketable fighters in the game.
Or maybe O’Malley really isn’t a star and the numbers are inflated elsewhere.
Either way, UFC 299 will be one of the most stacked events the promotion has ever held. If UFC didn’t think O’Malley was as marketable as it seems then they would have looked to someone else to headline this card in Miami. At the end of the day, O’Malley got the call and will look to cash in on his first official UFC title defense.
What say you, Maniacs? Does UFC 299 mark a superstar in the making?
Let’s discuss!
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 299 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 299: “O’Malley vs. Vera 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
