Any time two big guys go toe-to-toe for the third time over the title of “baddest man on the planet,” you’ve got some must-watch television. That will be the case this weekend when the UFC returns to Las Vegas for the third fight in a big time trilogy.
UFC 252 features several great fights leading up to the heavyweight championship bout, including a couple of other heavyweights who are maybe just a win away from being next in line for a shot at the belt. Plus, a couple of up-and-coming bantamweights will duke it out for a chance to climb the rankings.
Let’s take a closer look at those three bouts:
Heavyweight bout: Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
It’s not everyday you get to see three former heavyweight champs on one card, but thanks to Dos Santos, that is the case here. It has been quite a while since he was the heavyweight king, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less dangerous then he was when he defeated Cain Velasquez back in 2012. Dos Santos is a very powerful striker who can put any opponent to sleep with one shot.
Speaking of powerful strikers, Rozenstruik has nine wins by way of knockout in just 11 career fights. Coming off of his first career loss, it will be interesting to see how this heavyweight contender bounces back. Not that there is any shame in being knocked out by Francis Ngannou, which seemingly happens to everyone. In fact, Dos Santos was also knocked out by Ngannou last year. Both fighters like to stand and bang so it’s safe to expect some fireworks in this fight.
Bantamweight bout: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera
From the big guys to a much smaller weight class, this is another very exciting fight. O’Malley is one of the most promising young stars the UFC has to offer. Boasting a 12-0 record, the 25-year-old is currently the 14th-ranked bantamweight, but looking to climb the ladder. O’Malley is a creative striker with eight career knockouts so he is definitely going to want to keep this fight on the feet.
It will likely be the exact opposite strategy for Vera, who has eight submission wins in his 21 career fights. Vera may be sporting a much less impressive 15-6 record, but he was on a five-fight win streak before being derailed by Yadong Song back in May. He is also a talented striker, but it would probably not be in his best interest to test O’Malley’s skills in that realm. Look for him to take it to the floor.
Heavyweight Championship bout: Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier
Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes. Randy Couture vs. Chuck Liddell. Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier. The UFC has a history of great trilogies and after tomorrow, it will have one more. These two future Hall-of-Famers have traded the UFC Heavyweight Championship back and forth over the last couple of years and now we get to see who comes out on top.
What’s left to say about Cormier? He’s one of the all-time best in two weight classes. He’s defeated a who’s who that includes Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson, Josh Barnett and… oh yeah, Stipe Miocic. He’s one of the greatest grapplers the sport has ever seen, and yet 10 of his 22 career wins have come by knockout. The 41-year-old definitely has the heavyweight crown on his mind, but if things don’t go his way, the UFC Hall of Fame awaits.
The UFC Heavyweight Championship has a history of changing hands quite frequently. So it’s not all that surprising that the record for most consecutive successful defenses of the title belongs to Miocic with just three. Despite the fact that this is not exactly the most impressive record, fans were discussing Miocic as potentially the greatest heavyweight the UFC has ever seen before he lost the belt to Cormier in 2018. Now that he has recaptured the title, that debate is live again and if he manages to defend it again, there may not be much left to debate.
In the previous two fights, these two have traded knockout victories. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see Cormier try to take the fight to the floor, but it also seems likely these two will trade some more punches.
UFC 252 will be held tomorrow night, Saturday, August 15 at 10 PM ET. Fight fans can order the pay per view through ESPN+ and receive a special offer: $84.98 for UFC 252 and an ESPN+ annual plan. ESPN+ subscribers can order the pay per view for $64.99.