Title fights don’t get much bigger than this. Two of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history are set to square for the third time in the major event of UFC 252 when Stipe Miocic faces off against Daniel Cormier. Each fighter has scored a knockout in the previous two meetings with Miocic gaining the upper hand in the final bout. Now the two will look to settle the score in the rough match.
Miocic set the record for most consecutive heavyweight title defenses at three before Cormier scored the shocking first-round knockout in 2018. Cormier, a former lightweight and heavyweight champion in his own right, has stated that he will retire MMA career on Saturday after a win or loss.
But there is enough depth to be found outside the main event of the evening. There will be a few veterans looking to add one more win to the resume when Jim Miller and Vinc Pichel join in the preliminary main event. In Miller’s case, a win wins him closer to the top of Donald Cerrone’s mark for most wins in UFC history. Plus, a few rising stars get their chance to shine as Sean O’Malley takes over Marlon Vera in the co-main event and Jair Rozenstruik faces former champion Junior dos Santos in a heavyweight match.
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Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild ride. Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the map with the latest odds from William Hill Sportsbook.
UFC 252 fight card, odds
- Daniel Cormier -115 vs. Support Miocic (c) -105, Heavyweight Championship
- Sean O’Malley -300 vs. Marlon Vera +230, bantamweights
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik -135 vs. Junior Dos Santos +115, heavyweights
- Herbert Burns -280 vs. Daniel Pineda +230, field weights
- Merab Dvalishvili -240 vs. John Dodson +200, bantamweights
- Vinc Pichel -130 vs. Jim Miller +110, lightweights
- Virna Jandiroba -310 vs. Felice Herrig +250, strum weights for women
- TJ Brown -155 vs. Danny Chavez +130, field weights
- Livia Renata Souza -170 vs. Ashley Yoder +145, women’s weightlifting
- Parker Porter -120 vs. Chris Daukaus +120, heavyweights
- Kai Kamaka III vs. Tony Kelley, fourth weights
With such a massive main event on tap, the crew at CBS Sports went ahead with predictions and picks for the main card. Here are your pick-makers: Brent Brookhouse (writer Combat sport), Brian Campbell (writer Combat sport), Matthew Coca (producer), Jack Crosby (editor) and Michael Mormile (producer).
UFC 252 picks
| Miocic (c) vs. Cormier | Cormier | Miocic | Miocic | Miocic | Cormier |
| O’Malley vs. Vera | O’Malley | O’Malley | O’Malley | O’Malley | O’Malley |
| Rozenstruik vs. dos Santos | dos Santos | dos Santos | Rose bush | Rose bush | Rose bush |
| Burns Vs. Pineda | Burning | Burning | Burning | Burning | |
| Dodson Vs. Dvalishvili | Dvalishvili | Dvalishvili | Dodson | Dodson | Dodson |
Campbell on why Cormier will win: If Cormier can shake off nodding injuries and get into five-time championship form, this is his battle to lose. He is just better in every category, saving for fitness and strength on top and has more ways to win. Should DC give Miocic a path to victory, the underrated defending champion will take it. But as this trilogy becomes more exciting and technical than the first two, it plays more into Cormier’s hands, especially if he can do a better job in mixing in takedowns and sticking to the game plan.
Brookhouse on why Miocic will win: Cormier is 41, more than a year older than when he originally planned to retire. Miocic must also constantly think about how digging into Cormier’s body completely changed her first encounter. With Cormier’s condition already a potential problem, Miocic Cormier can sap early with bodywork and also open shoes for the head as Cormier brings his hands down to defend the body, much like how things played out around the second fight between to end the two. That said, this is as difficult a choice as any fight in recent memory, which is a product of how truly elite these two men are.
Campbell on why O’Malley will win: Vera is too dangerous and versatile to think that O’Malley will cut him with the ease that Anderson Silva did in his UFC debut against Chris Leben. With that said, however, we still do not know exactly how great O’Malley really is. That is what makes this fight so intriguing. Expect Vera’s pace of intense action to force O’Malley to settle on his intangible affairs in ways he never has before and prove he can make adjustments against one of the division’s toughest outs. If “Sugar” Sean is really for real, he’ll do just that. Every step so far he has played the part perfectly.
Campbell on why dos Santos will win: At 36, the former champion in recent years has seen at the time when the end could be near only to direct the ship and win a big battle. His victory of three fights two years ago, which included a stop by Derrick Lewis, was a reminder that he still has it. But what happens if he has to be pulled out for the third straight fight when he takes over the cruel Rose Shrub on Saturday? Given his opponent’s still rough skills, this is a fight that JDS can win a lot by boxing on the outside and patiently relying on his technique. It can get dicey at times, but there is enough for him at the point to keep alive the hope that there is still a lot left in the tank.
Who will win UFC 252, and how exactly will each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight on Saturday’s map, all of the accomplished expert who is over $ 20,000 and has nailed 16 of the last 18 UFC major events.
