With the return of UFC from the COVID-19 returns the end of one of the great rivalries in the promotion. Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier will meet in a heavyweight bout that will serve, more than likely, as the third and final battle between the two of them. Each of them has won one of the previous meetings via knockout, which makes this one of the most anticipated fights in recent UFC history. While this is not the first trilogy fight within the MMA sport, this is definitely one of the most hyped, not least because of the long gap between the second and third encounters. Take a look at the early sports betting odds as well as our thoughts on the fight so you can bet against their MMA odds.
UFC 252 Main Card Preview: Stipe Miocic vs Daniel Cormier 3 (August 15)
- Stipe Miocic -120
- Daniel Cormier +100
There have been other rivalries that made fans wait a long time for the third fight, such as the series featuring Tito Ortiz and Chuck Lidell. Both of them were well beyond their prime by the time of the third fight, and the fight itself actually turned into a bit of a letdown, as Ortiz took Lidell to school, despite the fact that Lidell was already in the UFC Hall of Fame.
There isn’t this same concern with Miocic vs Cormier 3, though. They met in 2018 and 2019, when they were both at the apex of their careers, and they are both still in their fighting prime. Cormier, now 41 years old, has said that this will be his last fight, and that he wants to go out on top as the UFC Heavyweight Champion. There are not many fighters who have retired while holding the belt, with Henry Cejudo serving as the notable exception.
Stipe Miocic has the slight edge in the betting odds, because he won the rematch at UFC 241. Their first tilt came at UFC 226, when Cormier stopped Miocic in the first round with a knockout to win the heavyweight title. Cormier then defended that title against Derrick Lewis via submission at UFC 230. Miocic and Cormier had their rematch, which lasted into the fourth round, where Miocic won via TKO.
Cormier has built a well-earned reputation for being one of a Renaissance fighter in the cage. He is a former Olympian and remains a wrestler with elite skills on a global levels. He was undefeated as a heavyweight before he lost to Miocic in their rematch, and with just one loss in the division, if he can win the third fight, he would be a top candidate for the best heavyweight ever to step into a UFC cage.
Miocic has defended his title three times, which is why he is currently known as “The Greatest UFC Heavyweight Champion.” Other than Jon Jones, he is the only fighter ever to stop Daniel Cormeir. His grit and stamina throughout his title run have been considerable, and it will be great theater to see these two fighters step into the cage one final time.
