Marlon Vera secured one of the most undeserved title fights in the history of the bantamweight division — UFC 299

As anticipated, Marlon Vera was granted a title bout against Sean O’Malley at UFC 299 in March. From a sports perspective, he stands out as one of the least legitimate contenders in the division’s history. After being decisively defeated 5–0 by Cory Sandhagen and not resembling a top-tier fighter, he then barely escapes with a decision win against the tenth-ranked opponent. For instance, on the MMA Decisions website, 14 out of 17 analysts scored the fight in favor of Pedro Munhoz. Even the fans seem to lean towards the Brazilian’s victory.

Vera delivers two lackluster performances in a row, following knockout victories over two veterans whose prime has passed. Sure, it’s a title fight, undoubtedly. Yet, unlike UFC 297, where the date is approaching without a headline bout, UFC 299 is still four months away! Is Merab Dvalishvili not ready for March after a nine-fight win streak? Can’t Cory Sandhagen recover his arm by then, especially if he returned to light training in October? Even Henry Cejudo earned this chance more, having given a closely contested fight to the former champion Sterling, never having lost in the 135-pound category before.

Three fighters potentially ready for March, with one of them undoubtedly prepared. Still, the title shot goes to Marlon Vera, solely because he defeated O’Malley three years ago. I propose that in the lightweight division, we grant the title bout to Adrian Martins since he knocked out Islam Makhachev a hundred years ago.

I understand it’s a business, and Dana White will protect O’Malley for as long as possible. But then, what is the sporting sense? And suppose Vera were more entertaining than all those I mentioned. In that case, Cory Sandhagen offers the best matchup for the fans — two high-class, tall strikers with a broad arsenal. It’s one of the best fights that can be made in the UFC right now. Marlon, on the other hand, is a low-volume, one-dimensional fighter, unable to hit the calf nerve with a kick every time.

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