UFC will present their 299th pay-per-view in the 305 this weekend and UFC CEO Dana White is bringing a stacked card with him.
The Bantamweight division can now be called the “Suga Show” Division after Sean O’Malley conquered and knocked out Aljamain Sterling in the second round.
However, Suga will be taking on an old foe, an old rival and the only UFC fighter to defeat O’Malley and his name is Marlon Vera.
Number 3-ranked Lightweight, Dustin Poirier is someone who we usually see headlining the card, but this time, he and the dominant number 12-ranked, Benoît Saint-Denis will go toe-to-toe in a bout I can’t see going the distance. (We’ll talk about that later)
What’s got fight fans buzzing this week?
It’s the exciting UFC Debut of Michael “Venom” Page, and he’s not just taking on an easy fight now, he’s not built like that, with 13th ranked Welterweight Kevin Holland standing in his way of a fairytale debut.
We’ve got a lot to preview, so let’s get stuck into it!
Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera 2 – UFC Bantamweight Title Fight
Tip: O’Malley to win via KO/TKO
The Suga Show has well and truly kicked off, with his millions of fans around the world ready to cheer on the 29-year-old in his first title defence.
Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera will light the stage up completely this weekend not because it’s a title fight on a stacked card but look at the history between the two!
Vera successfully defeated O’Malley with a first-round knockout after showing dominance and control for four and a half minutes into round one.
Now, O’Malley doesn’t count that loss since he got a leg injury during the fight and yada yada yada, but that moment of O’Malley being stopped for the first time in his career is one of many reasons why this bout is expected to be exciting for fight fans.
I know what fight fans are thinking, “What if O’Malley has a boring fight and goes for the decision victory?”
Simple Answer, O’Malley isn’t built that way!!
He’s going into the cage with intentions to rip the head of Vera and prove to the world that he can beat the only man to never preview the ‘Suga Show’.
I’ll take the early value for Sean O’Malley to win this bout via knockout.
Dustin Poirier vs Benoit Saint Denis
Tip: Dustin Poirier to win
This bout has ground my gears to the core, and yes, it’s an entertaining matchup but at the time of writing, Dustin Poirier is a heavy underdog which is completely bizarre from the bookies.
I get the fact that Saint-Denis has polished off every opponent, but the man who’s knocked out Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez is standing across from him, you can’t take Dustin lightly.
But if I look on the bright side, there’s plenty of value for this weekend if you’re having a dabble on the Co-Main Event.
Dustin Poirier has a Hall of Fame record if I’ve ever seen one, with a 29-8 record including 15 knockouts and 7 submissions.
He won’t have an easy task ahead of him this weekend against Benoit Saint-Denis and the record says it all.
Saint-Denis has a superb 13-1 record with 4 KO’s and 9 Submissions to his name and somehow he’s the favourite.
With that being said, if you can’t tell already, Dustin Poirier provides value in this fixture and backing him head-to-head is the play for me.
Kevin Holland vs Michael Page
Tip: Either Fighter to win via KO/TKO
Kevin Holland does not down from a challenge and fair play to him, but does Holland know what he’s exactly doing?
The dangerous and venomous (pun intended) Michael “Venom” Page will be seeking a dream UFC debut and unsurprisingly, at the time of writing, the bookies expect a close bout at hand.
Kevin Holland is coming off a split-decision defeat to Aussie, Jack Della Maddalena and it’s no secret that his September bout with JDM derailed his climb to the top of the mountain.
With 14 knockouts, including seven submissions and 12 first-round finishes to his name, we can expect a highlight reel from either one.
Page doesn’t have a bad record by any means, the 36-year-old beast has a 21-2 record including 13 knockouts to his name, this will be a great bout to watch, no doubt about it.
It’ll be hard to tell who will get their hand raised, so either fighter to win via KO/TKO seems to be the best play here.
