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UFC 252 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Miocic vs. Cormier 3 Card
August 16, 2020
Stipe Miocic closed out UFC 252 with a unanimous-decision victory over Daniel Cormier to retain his belt and take the lead in his series with DC 2-1.
It certainly wasn't an easy defense for the Independence, Ohio, native. While he won four rounds to one on two of the judges' scorecards, those rounds were close, and both fighters landed strikes that would have put down lesser fighters.
In the end, Miocic was surprisingly able to smother DC with multiple takedown attempts throughout the fight. While he was never able to get Cormier down, he was able to wear out his opponent. When he wasn't putting him against the fence, he was scoring from the outside.
Unfortunately, eye pokes were a part of the narrative for the third time in as many fights between the two. Cormier poked Miocic in the eye early in the fight, while Miocic landed one in the middle of the bout that visibly damaged Cormier's eye.
Despite the loss, DC confirmed once again this will be his last fight. If he truly means it, he walks away as one of the few who have held titles in two different weight classes even if he couldn't repeat as heavyweight champ.
Main Card Results
- Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision (49-46 x2, 48-47)
- Marlon Vera def. Sean O'Malley via TKO at 4:40 of Round 1
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Junior dos Santos via TKO at 3:47 of Round 2
- Daniel Pineda def. Herbert Burns via TKO at 4:37 of Round 2
- Merab Dvalishvili def. John Dodson via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Prelim Results
- Vinc Pichel def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 29-27)
- Virna Jandiroba def. Felice Herrig via submission (armbar) at 1:44 of Round 1
- Daniel Chavez def. TJ Brown via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Livia Renata Souza def. Ashley Yoder via unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
- Chris Daukaus def. Parker Porter via TKO at 4:28 of Round 1
- Kai Kamaka def. Tony Kelley via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Marlon Vera def. Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley and the Suga Show took a big hit Saturday night. Marlon Vera's power and an apparent injury were just too much for him to overcome as Chito picked up the first-round TKO.
O'Malley started strong and used his leg and body kicks to establish the distance and put Vera on notice. However, O'Malley was soon hobbled after an apparent injury while he was stepping forward. With the injury ultimately putting him on the ground, Vera wasted no time in taking advantage.
He followed up with elbows, and that was the end of the night for the rising 25-year-old.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances, this was still a big win for Vera. The 27-year-old has been around the UFC since 2014, but he is now 6-1 in his last seven fights with the only loss coming in a controversial decision against Song Yadong.
It would be nice to see them run this back, but if they choose not to, Vera should be getting another big-name opponent.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Junior dos Santos
For nearly a round-and-a-half, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Junior dos Santos engaged in a high-stakes game of chicken. The two teammates both played things safe and showed respect for their counterpart's power.
When the levee finally broke and Rozenstruik landed a massive left and right hand, it became clear why: That was all it took for him to turn the tide permanently and bring the fight to an end.
This was a strong and necessary performance for Bigi Boy. After a 20-second loss to Francis Ngannou, he needed to find a way to regain some of the momentum he had from the 10-0 start to his career.
For dos Santos, this has become an unfortunate trend. It's his third consecutive knockout loss, and concerns that his chin can't stand up against some of the best heavyweights anymore are real. At 36 years old, the former champion is past the days of being an elite heavyweight.
Rozenstruik's background as a professional kickboxer makes him an interesting element in the heavyweight division moving forward. The quick loss to Ngannou is a problem for his marketability as a title challenger, but in the shallow heavyweight division, he should be able to shake that result.
This was a big step toward that end.
Daniel Pineda def. Herbert Burns
What was supposed to be a big break for Herbert Burns turned into a nice weekend for Daniel Pineda. The 35-year-old who was fighting in the UFC for the first time since his release in 2014 pulled off a stunning performance and a second-round TKO.
Burns, whose brother is welterweight contender Gilbert Burns, looked the part in his appearance on Dana White's Contender Series and in his first two UFC fights. But missing weight Friday and getting blown out by Pineda will certainly slow down some of his hype.
Pineda had his last two bouts in the PFL overturned because he tested positive for a banned substance but had put together a four-fight win streak to help him get re-signed after six years away from the UFC.
While Burns has been lauded for his submission skills, Pineda showed no fear of mixing it up with his opponent on the ground. He embraced the wrestling and ultimately drew the finish with elbows from the crucifix position.
In addition to winning, he'll take home some extra cash because of Burns' troubles on the scale. Overall, Burns will need to learn a lot about how to prepare if he's going to reach his potential.
Merab Dvalishvili def. John Dodson
It's incredibly difficult to look good against John Dodson, but Merab Dvalishvili did his best. Dodson's quickness and evasiveness make him a hard guy to pin down and land any offense, but that didn't stop Dvalishvili from applying his usual high-pressure style.
According to ESPN's stats, Dvalishvili attempted 20 takedowns. While he only landed two of those, it was enough to completely neutralize any offense from Dodson.
Dvalishvili's attack was all volume and little efficiency, as he was unable to hold Dodson down, but The Magician was limited to just 27 significant strikes landed in the three-round fight.
Getting past Dodson is a good sign for Dvalishvili's growth as a fighter. Dodson is no longer one of the elite fighters in his weight division, but the list of people who have beaten him remains an elite club. Petr Yan, Jimmie Rivera, Marlon Moraes and John Lineker are the last people to do so.
With five wins in a row for the 29-year-old, those are the kinds of opponents he should look forward to next.