UFC 252: Main Card Betting Preview: Miocic vs Cormier 3

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One of the great heavyweight rivalries in UFC history will come to a conclusion on Saturday night, as UFC 252 has the third tilt in the trilogy between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier from the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas. This will be the main event, as Miocic comes in as a current two-time champion, and Cormier comes in as the former champion in two divisions within UFC. Cormier won the first fight, way back at UFC 226, when Cormier knocked out Miocic in the first round to take the heavyweight title. Miocic got revenge at UFC 241, knocking out Cormier in the fourth. In this third fight, Cormier will try to take the title back from Miocic. The co-main event will pit Sean O’Malley against Marlon Vera in a bantamweight fight. The main card will be available via Pay Per View, with the preliminary card on ESPN and the early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

We have the full card and some UFC betting thoughts about the two signature fights.

UFC 252: August 15
Miocic vs Cormier 3 Betting Preview

Stipe Miocic (19-3, -105) vs Daniel Cormier (22-2, -115) has the feel of some of the great heavyweight bouts from the history of fighting. The fact that the arena will be empty due to COVID-19 restrictions puts a bit of a damper on the atmosphere itself, but it also appears to be the last fight for Cormier. He has spent much of his career looking to finish first; in college, his wrestling legacy was crowned with a second-place finish to Cael Sanderson. He went to two Olympic Games but medaled in neither, getting cut from the 2008 Games due to missing a weight cut. Cormier’s biggest rivalry came from his days as a light heavyweight, when he and Jon Jones, who beat him on the cards in their first meeting and then knocked him out in his second. Cormier has spent the time since Miocic’s win in their second meeting asking for a rematch, and now it looks like he is ready for his exit, win or lose.

Miocic never built the same aura around a rivalry that Cormier and Jones built. When he beat Francis Ngannou in 2018, he became the first UFC heavyweight champion to defend his title in three straight bouts. Miocic is a solid boxer and also does well on the ground, and that has been what he needs to be the champion. Miocic delivered body shots in their rematch and wore Cormier down over time, leading to the knockout. If Miocic stays with that strategy, he should be able to wear down Cormier again, even though he will have to eat a lot of punishment along the way.

Final Prediction:
Miocic wins via knockout

UFC 252: August 15
Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera etting Preview

Sean O’Malley (12-0, -310) vs Marlon Vera (15-6-1, +255) features a talented fighter who ran into issues with the United States Anti-Doping Agency, in O’Malley. He had to deal with some of the same problems with “pulsing” that had Jon Jones in trouble, and so UFC let him work those issues out for more than two years. In March 2020, he came back to the sport, and he demolished Jose Alberto Quinonez and Eddie Wineland, needing approximately two minutes to finish each of them. Now he gets a fight against a somewhat tougher talent, and if he wins he could find himself on the list of contenders.

Vera had his UFC breakout year in 2017. He beat Brad Pickett and Brian Kelleher, but his best fight might have been a loss on the cards against John Lineker. He has overcome a reputation for starting slowly in fights, now coming out with more energy, although his last fight was a decision loss to Yadong Song. Vera has never been finished, and he has taken on fighters who bring punishment similar to what O’Malley brings. But can Vera stack enough points up?

Final Prediction:
O’Malley wins via decision