The heavyweights are set to take center stage in the main event of UFC 252 on August 15 at the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Champion Stipe Miocic and challenger Daniel “DC” Cormier are ready to close their trilogy with each man already scoring one win over the other. I have a preview and pick for each main card fight as well as a breakdown of the UFC 252 odds: Miocic vs Cormier 3.
Online sportsbook [Sportsbook not available for your region] has released odds for this card and in the main event, Cormier is the slight favorite at -120 and the champ, Miocic, comes back at -110. This means Cormier backers would have to bet $120 to win $100 while Miocic supporters would need to put down $110 to win $100. Our sports betting calculator is a great tool for new bettors.
Miocic vs Cormier | O’Malley vs Vera | dos Santos vs Rozenstruik | Dodson vs Dvalishvili | Burns vs Pineda | Prelims
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- Date/Time: August 15, 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Arena: UFC Apex Center
- Where to Watch: PPV, ESPN+
UFC 252 Odds Miocic vs Cormier
| Fighter (Heavyweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Stipe Miocic | -110 |
| Daniel Cormier | -120 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
After making 24 walks to a professional cage fight, the 25th will be the last for Cormier and he looks to end his career on top and avenge his fourth-round knockout one year ago. Miocic was the first to avenge a loss in this head-to-head series, bouncing back from a first-round knockout in 2018 to score that aforementioned fourth-round TKO last August.
- Stipe has had the most heavyweight title defenses in UFC history with three.
- Miocic is a great boxer, landing 52 percent of his strikes and averaging 4.95 significant strikes per minute while only absorbing 3.69. He has outstruck 11 of his 16 UFC opponents.
- He isn’t solely a striker, though, averaging 2.20 takedowns per 15 minutes. He has landed at least one takedown in 11 of his 16 UFC bouts.
- At times, Miocic will stand in the pocket without throwing a lot of offense or having a lot of head movement, but when he does punch back, he has straight accurate punches that back his opponents off.
- Miocic’s last three fights were Francis Ngannou (win – unanimous decision), Daniel Cormier (loss – knockout) and Daniel Cormier (win – knockout).
- DC is a former Olympian, placing fourth in the semifinals. He averages 1.95 takedowns in the cage and has secured at least one in 10 of his 14 UFC fights.
- Though Cormier has the wrestling accolades, he enjoys striking just as well, averaging 4.25 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.75. He has outstruck 10 of his 14 UFC opponents.
- The former two-division champion has a tendency to reach out and hold his opponents’ hands to control them and then fire a straight punch. This leaves him open to quick hooks over the top.
- It was the body shots that hurt DC in the rematch with Miocic, eventually leading to the knockout loss. In his only other pro loss, Jon Jones had worked the body before going high with a head kick. Cormier will have to protect the body if he wants to win.
- Cormier’s last three fights were Stipe Miocic (win – knockout), Derrick Lewis (win – submission) and Miocic again (loss – knockout).
Prediction: Daniel Cormier (-120) via decision
For more on this fight, check out my odds analysis page.
Sean O’Malley vs Marlon Vera
| Fighter (Bantamweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Sean O’Malley | -285 |
| Marlon Vera | +225 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
Sugar Sean O’Malley (-285) lays his perfect 12-0 record on the line as he makes his third walk to the Octagon in 2020, looking to build off back-to-back first-round knockouts. Meanwhile, Marlon “Chito” Vera (+225) looks to get back in the win column after having his five-fight winning streak snapped in May in a controversial unanimous-decision loss to Song Yadong.
- The Sugar Show has gained a lot of momentum recently, outstriking Jose Quinonez 18-0 for a knockout in the first in March and then following that up by outstriking UFC veteran Eddie Wineland 13-4 and knocking him out in June.
- Through four UFC bouts, O’Malley is averaging 6.86 significant strikes per minute while only absorbing 3.75. He landed three takedowns in his UFC debut but has none since. He was also taken down three times in his decision win over Andre Soukhamthath.
- He is tall and long for bantamweight, standing five-foot-11 with a 72-inch reach. He fights long, keeping his opponents at a distance as he backs them down with crisp powerful kicks and punches while also throwing spinning attacks.
- O’Malley’s last three fights were Andre Soukhamthath (win – unanimous decision), Jose Quinonez (win – knockout) and Eddie Wineland (win – knockout).
- During Chito’s five-fight winning streak, he finished each one (three knockouts, two submissions), and his last seven wins overall have been finishes. However, the last three times he went to the scorecards have been losses.
- He has been outstruck in eight of his 14 UFC bouts, including in each of the losses. He averages 3.70 significant strikes per minute but also absorbs 4.11. Grappling has been a tool he’s used recently, scoring six takedowns over his last six fights.
- Vera does his best work with his kicks, maintaining distance and even going on the attack with them. He does have a tendency to enter the pocket looking for under hooks with his chin in the air and he can be a little slow to react to punches coming his way.
- Vera’s last three fights were Nohelin Hernandez (win – submission), Andre Ewell (win – knockout) and Song Yadong (loss – unanimous decision).
Prediction: Sean O’Malley (-285) via knockout
Junior dos Santos vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik
| Fighter (Heavyweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Junior dos Santos | -105 |
| Jairzinho Rozenstruik | -125 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
Two heavyweights looking to get back in the win column will be featured in the co-main event. The last time out for Jairzinho “Bigi Boy” Rozenstruik (-125), he suffered his first pro career loss, lasting just 20 seconds in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou. As for the former champ, Junior “Cigano” dos Santos (-105) aims to halt a career-worst two-fight losing skid after back-to-back knockout losses.
- Don’t look for JDS to be searching for many takedowns. He averages 0.33 per 15 minutes and has landed just five over his 21-fight UFC career.
- Instead of grappling, Cigano prefers to do his work on the feet, with 15 of his 21 pro wins coming by knockout. Five of his seven losses have also come in that manner.
- Dos Santos is primarily a counter-striker, constantly feinting on the outside, looking to draw a reaction out of his opponent before firing a heavy uppercut or hook. He also uses his jab well, but when pressured he tends to drop his hands and use footwork to avoid danger.
- Dos Santos’ last three fights were Derrick Lewis (win – knockout), Francis Ngannou (loss – knockout) and Curtis Blaydes (loss – knockout).
- Similar to JDS, Bigi Boy has not secured a single takedown in the UFC through five fights and hasn’t even attempted one, so we know this will be a standup battle.
- Of Rozenstruik’s four UFC wins, all have been by knockout. In fact, nine of his 10 pro wins have ended in that manner, while his lone loss also was by knockout to Francis Ngannou.
- Jairzinho has great kicks, a product of his extensive kickboxing career in which he had a 76-9 record. At times, he lunges in for his punches and typically only throws one strike at a time, but that’s all he needs to end your night.
- Rozenstruik’s last three fights were Andrei Arlovski (win – knockout), Alistair Overeem (win – knockout) and Francis Ngannou (loss – knockout).
Prediction: Junior dos Santos (-105) via decision
Herbert Burns vs Daniel Pineda
| Fighter (Featherweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Herbert Burns | -270 |
| Daniel Pineda | +210 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
After the Magomed Ankalaev vs Ion Cutelaba fight was called off, a pair of featherweight submission specialists jumped up from the undercard. Herbert “The Blaze” Burns (-270) searches for his third straight first-round finish inside the Octagon after earning a UFC contract in Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series one year ago. Meanwhile, Daniel “The Pit” Pineda (+210) returns to the Octagon for the first time since his 3-4 stint in 2012-14.
- Herbert is the brother of Gilbert Burns, who is likely fighting for the welterweight belt in the near future.
- He has won his last five fights, four of which were first-round finishes. Overall, nine of his 11 pro wins have been finishes, with eight of them coming in the first round.
- Although The Blaze is known for his submission skills, he’s very aggressive on his feet, with powerful kicks that he uses to back his opponents up until he shoots for a takedown.
- Burns’ last three fights were Darrick Minner (win – submission), Nate Landwehr (win – knockout) and Evan Dunham (win – submission).
- Since being cut from the UFC in 2014, Pineda has fought in five different organizations, carrying a record of 8-2 with two no contests. His last two fights were the no contests when he tested positive for a banned substance.
- None of his 26 pro wins have gone to the judges’ scorecards (18 submissions, eight knockouts). He has also been stopped eight times, with two knockout losses and six submissions.
- The Pit has quite basic striking on the feet, with his whole mentality of getting the fight to the floor. He is very strong when he gets his hands on his opponents, slamming them to the canvas over and over again. He is aggressive when searching for submissions, constantly flowing and transitioning from one attempt to another.
- Pineda’s last three fights were Rey Trujillo (win – knockout), Movlid Khaybulaev (no contest) and Jeremy Kennedy (no contest).
Prediction: Herbert Burns (-270) via submission
John Dodson vs Merab Dvalishvili
| Fighter (Bantamweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| John Dodson | +195 |
| Merab Dvalishvili | -250 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
After snapping a career-worst two-fight losing skid in February, John “The Magician” Dodson (+195) looks for back-to-back wins for the first time since he won three in a row from 2013 to 2015. To pull off that task, he will have to end the four-fight winning streak of Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili (-250).
- Dodson twice fought for the UFC flyweight title against Demetrious Johnson but lost by unanimous decision both times.
- He is extremely fast and elusive, making his opponents miss 61 percent of their strikes. However, his stature – he’s five-foot-three and has a 66-inch reach – requires him to close distance to land and he has been outstruck in four of his last five fights.
- The Magician tends to let his opponents close the distance before he blitzes forward with a flurry of punches. He has incredible conditioning that allows him to remain elusive and explosive through to the last second of a fight. All 11 of his pro losses have been by decision.
- Dodson’s last three fights were Jimmie Rivera (loss – unanimous decision), Petr Yan (loss – unanimous decision) and Nathaniel Wood (win – knockout).
- Dvalishvili dropped his first two fights in controversial fashion but has rattled off four consecutive dominant wins since.
- While his striking continues to evolve, wrestling is his bread and butter. He averages 8.67 takedowns per 15 minutes and has landed at least five takedowns in each of his six UFC bouts, including 25 over his last two fights.
- The Machine is light on his feet but much of his offensive output comes in the form of either counter-strikes in the pocket or big attacks to close the distance and work toward a takedown. His cardio is outstanding and he has sneaky-fast and powerful hands – when he lands, he can drop his opponent.
- Dvalishvili’s last three fights were Brad Katona (win – unanimous decision), Casey Kenney (win – unanimous decision) and Gustavo Lopez (win – unanimous decision).
Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili (-250) via decision
UFC 252 Prelim Betting Odds
| Fighter (Strawweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Felice Herrig | +250 |
| Virna Jandiroba | -325 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
| Fighter (Heavyweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Parker Porter | -120 |
| Christopher Daukaus | -110 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
| Fighter (Lightweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Vinc Pichel | -135 |
| Jim Miller | +105 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
| Fighter (Featherweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| T.J. Brown | -155 |
| Danny Chavez | +125 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
| Fighter (Strawweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Livinha Souza | -165 |
| Ashley Yoder | +135 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
| Fighter (Featherweight) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kai Kamaka | -225 |
| Tony Kelley | +175 |
Odds as of August 15 at [Sportsbook not available for your region]
