UFC 299: Sean O'Malley puts on 'clinic' in dominant win over Marlon Vera

UFC president Dana White hailed Sean O'Malley as "the biggest star ever in bantamweight history" as the 135-pound champion put on a masterclass to take a unanimous decision over Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299.

O'Malley controlled the main event from the opening bell with precision striking and footwork to extend his MMA record to 18-1.

The champion landed more than 50 per cent of his 344 punches. He was the more active fighter throughout, hurting Vera (23-9-1) with shots to the body, knees to the face, and countering nearly every one of Vera's connections with one of his own.

It was O’Malley’s first defence of his bantamweight title after stopping former champion Aljamain Sterling 51 seconds into the second round at UFC 292 last August.

UFC CEO Dana White called the performance a “clinic" by O'Malley, who is fast becoming one of the biggest stars in the sport. White added that the card was the fourth-highest grossing UFC event ever, with a gate of $14.14 million.

“He's on his way,” White said of O'Malley. “He's the biggest star ever in bantamweight history. You can say that right now.”

Sean O'Malley's +141 significant strike differential ranks 2nd largest in a UFC bantamweight fight, behind only O'Malley's own +160 vs. Kris Moutinho