Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
To stream UFC 252 LIVE on ESPN+ PPV click here!
Stipe Miocic did more than enough to defend his UFC heavyweight title and win the final fight in his trilogy with Daniel Cormier last night (Sat., Aug. 15, 2020) at UFC 252 live on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Miocic showcased some good offense on the feet in the early going which forced Cormier to shoot for a takedown. The champ defended nicely but when they returned to their feet Cormier landed a big right hand. An inadvertent eye poke briefly stopped the action. Cormier landed another big right hand towards the end of the round that nearly knocked Miocic down.
Miocic offered up some more body work early into the second but Cormier’s counters were powerful and eager to find a home. That was until Miocic scored a hard left hook that put Cormier on notice. Cormier recovered to land his own shots but the champ ended up catching “DC” with massive right hooks. Cormier stumbled to the ground but was eventually saved by the bell.
In Round 3, Miocic closed the gap and started to lean on Cormier along the cage, even landing some hard body shots along the way. Cormier seemed to be tiring. He did land some good punches towards the end of the round, but Miocic was quick to counter. The champ happened to land his finger in the eye of Cormier during an exchange and it really affected “DC” as well.
The fourth frame saw Miocic push the pressure as Cormier’s left eye was nearly closed shut. Miocic was able to take his time and find the perfect home for quick punches up top and hard blows to the body. Cormier would mix in the occasional power shot, but his output started to dip.
In Round 5, Miocic closed the gap and put “DC” back against the cage. Both heavyweights looked tired but they separated and exchanged hard shots in the center of the cage. Miocic came back with another big right hand before trying for a late takedown. Cormier defended and started to press with short right hands. Miocic got out of the way, landed some more body shots, and that was all she wrote.
In the end, it was Miocic who captured the unanimous decision win and retained his UFC heavyweight title.
Check out the highlights below courtesy of UFC/ESPN.
Daniel Cormier is ready for his last dance in the Octagon
Stream #UFC252 on ESPN+ ?? https://t.co/tymR31MfXr pic.twitter.com/SIIOpVCgKn
— ESPN (@espn) August 16, 2020
Lean! Mean!
@StipeMiocic is here to solidify status. #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/cnu85gKJKH
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2020
The champ @stipemiocic is starting to let his hands go #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/ouvcEUFjY3
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 16, 2020
HE HURT HIM! @DC_MMA stuns Stipe as RD 1 comes to a close. #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/KmpKVzteW7
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2020
OOOOOH!
DC survives Stipe’s late RD 2 attack! #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/QFjxoWnLCH
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2020
After @stipemiocic landed a bomb, @dc_mma landed one of his own #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/LxgSpzXC8A
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 16, 2020
And that is it!
The third and final bout goes the distance. #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/X9LLkKyml7
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2020
“TIL I DIE”
Stipe Miocic is the greatest heavyweight of all-time! #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/m5Xu2mxxsT
— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2020
For complete UFC 252 results and highlights click here.