This settles the score once and for all.
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic defends his crown against former two-division champion Daniel Cormier at UFC 252 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada Sunday morning.
It will be the third fight between the two with the winner likely to be adjudged as the greatest UFC Heavyweight champion of all time. Cormier won their first fight but Miocic returned the favor with a victory in their second.
Heavyweight champion Miocic dominated the early action during their first fight July 7, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Cormier pushed up the pace and crowded Miocic with dirty boxing.
Cormier sent Miocic to the canvas with a right hand then pounced on him to administer ground and pound which forced the referee to stop the fight late in the first round.
The second fight was a complete reversal with Cormier, then the champion, pulling ahead in the scorecards after three rounds. It was Miocic’s turn to make an adjustment in the fourth as he hacked at Cormier’s torso with his left hand, aiming for the liver.
The body blows softened up Cormier allowing Miocic to connect with combinations to the face and head to score a knockout and regain his title.
In other fights of the main card up-and-coming Bantamweight Sean O’Malley takes on Marlon Vera in the Co-main event. Former UFC Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos battles dangerous Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Veteran Daniel Pineda takes on Herbert Burns in a Featherweight bout. Finally, John Dodson takes on Merab Dvalishivili in a Bantamweight fight.
The heralded O’Malley, 25, is unbeaten in 12 professional fights. He first made a splash during the second season of Dana White’s Contender Series. He started his UFC career with over Andre Soukhamthath and Terrion Ware.
His most recent victories were first round knockouts over Eddie Wineland a little over a month ago and Jose Quiñonez just last March.
Vera however is no pushover. He may have lost his last fight to Yadong Song by decision. But before that he won five consecutive fights by stoppage posting three knockouts and two submissions.
