UFC 299 – Syndication Server

Maycee Barber details harrowing nine-day hospital stay after UFC 299 – and still seeks answers

Right after her most recent win earlier this month, Maycee Barber knew what she wanted next. It wasn’t a hospital stay.

Right after her most recent win earlier this month, [autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] knew whom she wanted next.

She didn’t know at the time her next opponent would be her own health. Barber on Monday posted on Instagram detailing what she said was a harrowing nine days in the hospital, where she eventually developed pneumonia.

“Well, the past few weeks were quite the ride and included lots of highs and lots of lows,” Barber posted on Instagram. “Following my fight, I spent 9 days in the hospital being tested and treated for an infection that they thought were a mix of different things from Strep A to Staph. Being in the hospital and still not having a true definitive answer while battling a 105 degree fever for days, having extremely low blood pressure, HR, and oxygen, was incredibly hard. Despite having multiple IV antibiotics and medications over the course of several days, they were unable to get my fever to drop, which eventually led to me developing Pneumonia. It definitely wasn’t what I had planned and was honestly very scary at times. There were a few moments where I wasn’t sure if I was going to be okay, but I know that whatever happens was meant to happen and that it’s all just another piece of the puzzle of life. 🧩 Grateful for everyone who has been by my side through it all. Little scares like this make you really step back and appreciate those around you! God is good and I am blessed! 🤍”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C48aMRhJes4

That’s a far cry from what Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was lobbying for after her unanimous decision win over Katlyn Cerminara at UFC 299, which extended her winning streak to six. She asked for a rematch with women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso.

Grasso was the most recent person to beat Barber in 2021. But Grasso also is booked to coach “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Valentina Shevchenko with a trilogy rematch with her looming afterward.

So Grasso also no doubt knows a shot at the belt still is a bit down the road, given that timeline – which might mean any recovery from her hospitalization might be well in the rearview mirror by the time she’s ready to get back in the cage.

Dustin Poirier thinks Benoit Saint Denis’ staph infection revelation is a bad look

Dustin Poirier thinks Benoit Saint Denis should have kept quiet about his staph infection.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] should have kept quiet about his staph infection.

After Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) knocked out Saint Denis in the second round at UFC 299 earlier this month, the Frenchman revealed that he entered the fight with staph infection on his forehead, which he says hampered his performance.

The infection was visible on his head during fight week, but Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) later shared images which showed the worst stages of it. Poirier is not a fan of Saint Denis making excuses.

“You say those type of things like ‘I had an infection, I was battling something,’ you say that when you win, you don’t say that when you lose,” Poirier told USA TODAY Sports’ Mackenzie Salmon.

“I’ve gone into so many fights with staph infection, with fractured foot, with lacerated bicep, staph infection in my ear – all kinds of stuff. That’s fighting. We’re on the mats every day. Everybody has something going on going into fights, but you can’t say that when you lose. You’ve got to hush it up.”

With UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev looking to return in June, Poirier has now emerged as a potential title contender. The remaining lightweight contenders are currently tied up, with Justin Gaethje defending his BMF title against Max Holloway at UFC 300, and top contenders Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan also squaring off on the April 13 card.

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Sean O’Malley goes off on ‘fake-ass b*tch’ Marlon Vera for UFC 299 greasing accusation

UFC champ Sean O’Malley went off on Marlon Vera for accusing him of greasing in their rematch.

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] went off on [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] for accusing him of greasing at UFC 299.

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) avenged his loss to Vera (21-9-1 MMA, 15-8 UFC) by battering him for five rounds in their title fight earlier this month in Miami. Vera said fighting O’Malley was “like grabbing a fish out of the water” during Monday’s episode of “The MMA Hour” and accused him of putting something in his hair.

Who braid your hair @SugaSeanMMA you where grease to the bone I wonder how much gel they use ?

— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) March 13, 2024

O’Malley fired back by saying Vera’s claim is irrelevant. “Chito” attempted zero takedowns, so the fight played out predominantly standing.

“I don’t get the whole ‘Chito’ thing,” O’Malley said on his “TimboSugarShow” podcast. “Everyone seems to love this dude. The motherf*cker is a fake-ass b*tch. ‘Chito’ sucks. F*ck him. I know sh*t that people don’t know that would change their minds on him, but I’m not going to go out there and post it.

“The DM sh*t was real. I was in his f*cking head. I was his brain. I was thinking for him. F*ck that guy. Then he comes out saying I’m greasing my hair. You didn’t even get close enough to smell my hair, let alone – what was grease in my hair going to do?”

There’s no indication as to what O’Malley is referring to when it comes to Vera’s personal life, but he refrained from elbaorating. The pair mentioned that DMs were exchanged during fight week.

“I’m just like, ‘Be the bigger man. You don’t need to ruin his f*cking life. You already ruined his career,'” O’Malley added. “Just be the bigger man.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Teddy Atlas: Sean O’Malley’s standup would beat many pro boxers

Teddy Atlas had very high praise for Sean O’Malley after UFC 299.

Teddy Atlas had very high praise for [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] after UFC 299.

Bantamweight champion O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) notched his first title defense when he battered Marlon Vera for five rounds this past Saturday at UFC 299.

O’Malley has mentioned crossing over to boxing numerous times, calling out the likes of Gervonta Davis, and recently going back-and-forth with Ryan Garcia. Legendary boxing trainer Atlas went as far as saying O’Malley could get the best of many professional boxers.

“I’m not going to call him a striker. I think he would beat a lot of pro fighters,” Atlas said on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas. “He would beat a lot of pro boxers – he’s that good at boxing. His legs are that good. His striking ability, his combinations are that technically sound and that pure. His hands are that fast. His ring IQ is that high.

“His vision is that clear – he sees everything, and he’s a tremendous counter puncher, a pure counter puncher. … He’s got a long jab, and he uses that long jab to set up punches. He knows range really well. He controls range really well – not only with his feet, but even with getting full length on his punches. He gets full extension.”

Atlas also saw a lot of improvements in O’Malley’s game, referencing a quote he often likes to use to describe his performance.

“Cus D’Amato told me, ‘Teddy, when a guy wins the title, he automatically becomes 30 percent better,'” Atlas said. “You know what? That’s scary because O’Malley looked 30 percent (better) – that much more solid, that much more consistent, that much more together. He has improved.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Gilbert Burns after UFC 299 loss: ‘I’m still alive in the division, I know can beat so many guys’

Gilbert Burns still thinks he has what it takes to become UFC welterweight champion.

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] still thinks he has what it takes to become UFC welterweight champion.

Burns (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC) was just over a minute away from beating Jack Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) at UFC 299 before a costly mistake led to him being knocked out in Round 3. Two of the three judges had him up 20-18 heading into the third.

The former title challenger now has dropped two straight, but he won’t let those setbacks deter him from his title hopes.

“I’m 37, I’m not getting any younger, but I do believe I have everything I need to become a champion,” Burns said on his YouTube channel. “Concerning the footwork, the defense, technical stuff, combos. I was throwing a lot of single shots, but I’m still there.

“I’m still alive in the division. I know can beat so many guys. The dream is still alive. I still want to become a champion. It’s not just a dream, it’s my goal. Guess what? I’m going to work very hard for that. For sure a little clean-up, little things I need to do technically, mentally, physically. We always need to improve.”

Upon finding out that Della Maddalena broke his arm in Round 1, Burns’ respect for him grew even bigger.

“He broke his arm maybe from the first or second kick that I threw, and the guy didn’t show it,” Burns said. “Man, so much respect. I’m a bigger fan now already of Jack. I already liked the guy, I liked his style, I like that he goes forward, tried to finish the fight. After that performance, I’m more than a fan. I think he deserves it. Man, no excuses at all.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Umar Nurmagomedov sees Cory Sandhagen as a tougher fight than Sean O’Malley: ‘His IQ is very high level’

Umar Nurmagomedov thinks Cory Sandhagen is a sterner test for him than the champion.

[autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] is a sterner test for him than the champion.

Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) called for his previously scrapped bout with Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) to be rescheduled after defeating newcomer Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Fight Night 238.

Nurmagomedov got his wish when Sandhagen verbally agreed to fight him, but that doesn’t mean the undefeated rising contender is taking him lightly. In fact, he sees Sandhagen as a tougher challenge than bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC).

“I think one of the hard fights in my division, it’s Cory,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN. “Nobody fights like Cory. He’s talented, he has very good technique, and I like this. It’s big challenge for me. I want to fight – if I will choose, of course I want to fight with Cory, and I hope to soon because I want to begin my training camp. … Yes, I think it’s more hard than even O’Malley because Cory, it’s very difficult. His IQ is very high level I think.”

Nurmagomedov was critical of O’Malley’s wrestling. After seeing him get taken down six times by Petr Yan at UFC 280, he questions his defense.

“When I saw his fight with Petr Yan and Petr Yan take him down, I understand he’s not high-level wrestler and he don’t have some defense,” Nurmagomedov said. “I think it’s going to be very difficult to learn. If you want to wrestle from a high level, couple years, you need this.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Marlon Vera’s coach reacts to UFC 299 loss to Sean O’Malley: ‘With no clock? Chito goes to jail for murder’

Did Marlon Vera simply run out of time in the UFC 299 headliner with Sean O’Malley?

Jason Parillo thinks [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] would’ve beaten UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] if there was no time limit.

Vera (21-9-1 MMA, 15-8 UFC) showed great durability but was battered for five rounds by O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) this past Saturday in the UFC 299 headliner.

Vera’s head coach, Parillo, praised his fighter and wants to see a trilogy bout next. “Chito” handed O’Malley the lone loss of his career when he finished him by TKO in August 2020.

“Couldn’t be prouder of my fighter @chitoveraufc! He competed for the UFC world title! Representing his country Ecuador and every hard working man that doesn’t give up! Chito 1-1 now with this kid! The kid got the decision and retained the title! Chito got the knock out in the first fight. With no clock? Chito goes to jail for murder! #godbless.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4e8QBtuKm2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

While Parillo’s claim is rather bold considering that Vera did not win a single round, O’Malley admitted that with seconds remaining in the fight, Vera landed a liver shot that buckled him. In a back-and-forth spat on Twitter, Vera made sure to remind O’Malley of that.

“I’m fine black eye small cut the usual. How’s the liver? U do remember that sound u make.”

I’m fine black eye small cut the usual. How’s the liver? U do remember that sound u make https://t.co/Ev51TTelNX

— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) March 13, 2024

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Gilbert Burns makes no excuses for UFC 299 knockout loss: ‘Made a bad decision and paid for it’

Gilbert Burns was 77 seconds away from victory at UFC 299 before a tactical error led to him being knocked out by Jack Della Maddalena.

[autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] was 77 seconds away from victory at UFC 299 before a tactical error led to him being knocked out by Jack Della Maddalena.

After a 10-month layoff that included shoulder surgery, Burns (22-7 MMA, 15-7 UFC) got back in the octagon this past weekend in Miami for a welterweight bout with Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC). He won the first two rounds on two of three judges’ scorecards and was doing well in the third until the fight changed on a dime.

Della Maddalena brilliantly timed a counter knee that landed clean on Burns, badly hurting the Brazilian and setting up a sequence of ground-and-pound that led to the comeback finish at the 3:37 mark of Round 3. It was a tough pill to swallow for Burns, but he took all accountability for it during his first post-fight statement after UFC 299 (via Instagram):

https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Ydbi6ptvE/

Felt great in there! Put on a great training camp and a good strategy, unfortunately it’s the fight game made a bad decision and paid for it! And I was very happy to be in there! Shoutout to Jack Della on a great win! No excuses, just grateful to God, for my family, my team, my friends my sponsors, supporters and to all the fans ❤️❤️❤️ time to rest and expend a quality time with my family. See you guys soon!

Burns, 37, now must go back to the drawing board in the rapidly evolving welterweight division. He’s 3-3 in his past six fights since unsuccessfully challenging then-champ Kamaru Usman for the belt in February 2021, with his past two fights resulting in losses to Della Maddalena and Belal Muhammad.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.

Chael Sonnen: Sean O’Malley’s win over Marlon Vera ‘the single best performance I’ve ever seen’

Chael Sonnen was in awe of Sean O’Malley’s performance against Marlon Vera at UFC 299.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] was in awe of UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]’s performance against [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag].

O’Malley (18-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) put a striking clinic on Vera (21-9-1 MMA, 15-8 UFC) for five rounds to retain his title in Saturday’s UFC 299 main event. Sonnen was especially impressed with O’Malley’s ability to control range and hit Vera from all angles.

“I was with Henry Cejudo last night, very good friends, so no bias here, the best ’35-pounder I’ve ever seen is Dominick Cruz – move over, Dominick,” Sonnen said on the ESPN UFC 299 post-fight show. “I mean, that was the single best performance I’ve ever seen. Controlling range to that ability … Merab (Dvalishvili) will be the favorite here. People are going to forget this real quick.

“However, I now have my own questions. You want to know why ‘Chito’ didn’t try to take him down? The same reason the other five guys never tried to take him down: They can’t get inside. He controls range. It is an unbelievable thing. He will hit you going that way (forward), he will hit you backing up, he will hit you going to the side. Nobody can do that.”

Although O’Malley was seen sporting a cast on his hand and foot after the fight, Sonnen praised him for having the cardio to outlast Vera in a five-round fight.

“I would also like to tip my hat a little bit to the endurance,” Sonnen said. “I questioned if Sean could hold up for 25 minutes.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.