UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- 18 hours ago
- 7 min read
Introduction
UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3 took place on Saturday, August 15, 2020 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. It was the concluding chapter of one of the greatest heavyweight trilogies in MMA history, the second closed-door numbered card held at the APEX, and the final professional fight of Daniel Cormier's Hall-of-Fame career. The card produced an estimated 450,000 pay-per-view buys.
Stipe Miocic defended the heavyweight title via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) over Cormier, completing a 2-1 series victory after splitting the first two fights. The co-main saw Sean O'Malley suffer his first UFC loss in a result that altered his promotional arc — Marlon Vera TKO'd him at 4:40 of round one after O'Malley's right foot gave out from accumulated nerve damage. Jairzinho Rozenstruik scored a thunderous second-round KO of Junior dos Santos.
Contents
• FAQ
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, August 15, 2020
📍 Venue: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
👥 Attendance: 0 (closed-door, COVID-19 era)
💰 Gate: $0 (no live audience)
📺 PPV Buys: ~450,000
📡 Broadcast: Pay-per-view (ESPN+ in USA)
🏆 Main Event: Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Daniel Cormier — UFC Heavyweight Championship (265 lbs) — Trilogy
✅ Result: Miocic def. Cormier via Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
🥇 Co-Main: Marlon Vera def. Sean O'Malley via TKO (punches) — R1, 4:40 — Bantamweight
The Build-Up
The Miocic-Cormier rivalry had been one of the defining storylines of late-2010s heavyweight MMA. The first fight (UFC 226, July 2018) saw Cormier — the reigning light-heavyweight champion moving up — land a single right hand that flatlined Miocic in round one to claim a second division title. The rematch (UFC 241, August 2019) was even more dramatic: Miocic was losing on all three scorecards entering round four when he found Cormier's body, broke him with a sustained left-hand-to-the-liver assault, and reclaimed the title via TKO. The trilogy was inevitable.
Cormier had spent the eleven months between UFC 241 and UFC 252 telegraphing his intentions: this would be his final fight, win or lose. He was 41, had been competing at the championship level for over a decade, and had publicly stated that retirement was a foregone conclusion regardless of outcome. Miocic, 37, was at the peak of his second championship reign and had no such retirement plans.
The co-main was a high-stakes step-up fight for Sean O'Malley, who entered 12-0 with three consecutive UFC KOs including Performance bonuses at UFC 248 and UFC 250. Marlon Vera was a 27-year-old Ecuadorian veteran with a 15-6-1 record and a reputation as the bantamweight division's most underrated finisher.
Main Event: Miocic vs. Cormier 3
Stipe Miocic fought the most disciplined fight of his career. Knowing Cormier's right hand had ended their first meeting in 33 seconds, Miocic spent every round moving laterally, doubling jabs at distance, and refusing to engage in clinch exchanges where Cormier's wrestling background gave him an advantage. The early rounds were close, both men cutting each other up, neither breaking through. By round three, Cormier's left eye had taken a thumb (incidental, ruled by referee Marc Goddard) and was beginning to swell shut.
Rounds four and five were decisive. Miocic, now confident in his range management, opened up with combinations and let his jab carry the boxing. Cormier — nearly blind in the left eye, breathing hard, and visibly aged — could not generate offence. Final significant strikes: Miocic 132, Cormier 84. The scorecards were 49-46 across the board. Two rounds of 10-9 plus three rounds of 10-9 from each judge — a clean four-rounds-to-one verdict.
In his post-fight interview, Daniel Cormier confirmed his retirement on the microphone to Joe Rogan: "That's it. I won't be back." Miocic acknowledged the moment: "DC is one of the greats. Without him, I'm not the fighter I am today." Cormier's UFC career ended with a 22-3 record (1 NC), two UFC titles, and the rare distinction of holding two division belts simultaneously. He transitioned immediately into UFC broadcasting, where he has remained as a colour commentator and analyst.
The trilogy ended 2-1 in Miocic's favour and locked in his case as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. He would defend the title once more before losing to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021, then sat out for over three years before being TKO'd by Jon Jones at UFC 309 in November 2024 in his retirement fight.
Co-Main Event: O'Malley vs. Vera
The co-main turned on a freak injury that has been litigated by MMA fans ever since. Through three minutes of round one, O'Malley was winning. He had landed his trademark calf kicks, scored with the straight right hand, and looked sharper. At around the 3:30 mark of round one, a sudden weight shift caused O'Malley's right foot to drop — the lingering result of nerve damage from years of low-kick exchanges. His mobility collapsed.
Marlon Vera capitalised immediately. He pressed forward, dragged O'Malley to the ground, and unloaded a sequence of elbows that referee Herb Dean stopped at 4:40 of round one. It was O'Malley's first UFC loss and the first finish against him in nearly six years. He has consistently maintained that the foot injury, not Vera's skill, decided the fight; the bout remains the lone official L on his UFC record alongside an NC.
The two would not rematch until UFC 299 in March 2024, by which point O'Malley was the bantamweight champion. O'Malley won the rematch by unanimous decision in a comprehensive five-round performance, closing the loop on the rivalry.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Stipe Miocic (c) def. Daniel Cormier — Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) — Heavyweight Title
Marlon Vera def. Sean O'Malley — TKO (elbows) — R1, 4:40 — Bantamweight
Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Junior dos Santos — KO (punches) — R2, 3:47 — Heavyweight
Daniel Pineda def. Herbert Burns — TKO (elbows) — R2, 1:08 — Featherweight
Magomed Ankalaev def. Ion Cutelaba — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Light Heavyweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
John Dodson def. Merab Dvalishvili — Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) — Bantamweight
Felice Herrig def. Virna Jandiroba — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Strawweight
TJ Brown def. Danny Chavez — Submission (heel hook) — R2, 4:21 — Featherweight
Kai Kamaka def. Tony Kelley — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Featherweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Marlon Vera — $50,000 for the first-round TKO of Sean O'Malley.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Jairzinho Rozenstruik — $50,000 for the second-round KO of Junior dos Santos.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Daniel Pineda — $50,000 for the second-round elbow TKO of Herbert Burns.
Records & Milestones
• Miocic's third successful UFC Heavyweight Championship defense of his second reign — part of his all-time record for heavyweight title-fight wins.
• Daniel Cormier's final professional fight — retired as the only fighter in UFC history to hold two divisional titles simultaneously (alongside Conor McGregor, Henry Cejudo, Amanda Nunes).
• Final Miocic-Cormier trilogy record: 2-1 Miocic. Combined finish total across three bouts: 2 (Cormier KO at UFC 226, Miocic TKO at UFC 241).
• Sean O'Malley's first UFC loss, ending a 12-0 professional record. To date, the only finish loss of his career.
• Three Performance of the Night bonuses awarded — no Fight of the Night.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 252 is remembered as the closing argument in one of the greatest heavyweight trilogies in MMA history. With Cormier's retirement and Miocic's 2-1 series win, the post-Lesnar / pre-Ngannou era of UFC heavyweight ended on a definitive note. Miocic's record of seven heavyweight title-fight wins remains the all-time mark for the division.
For Daniel Cormier, the retirement closed a 23-fight UFC run that included two division titles, wins over Anderson Silva, Anthony Johnson (twice), Rumble Johnson, Volkan Oezdemir, Derrick Lewis, and Stipe Miocic. He had been the heavyweight champion, the light-heavyweight champion, an Olympic wrestler, and a two-time UFC Fighter of the Year. He moved immediately into a UFC broadcasting role and remains, alongside Joe Rogan, one of the faces of the company's commentary booth.
For Sean O'Malley, the Vera loss became a defining what-if of his early career. He has cited it repeatedly as the moment that taught him to manage his low-kick game, rebuild his right foot, and treat every appearance as if a freak nerve issue could decide a result. The rematch at UFC 299 — nearly four years later — closed the loop with a one-sided unanimous decision win, and by then O'Malley was the reigning bantamweight champion.
FAQ
Who won the Miocic-Cormier trilogy overall?
Stipe Miocic, 2-1. Cormier won the first fight (UFC 226, July 2018) by first-round KO. Miocic won the second (UFC 241, August 2019) by fourth-round TKO and the third (UFC 252, August 2020) by unanimous decision. The series produced finishes in two of three fights and is widely considered the greatest heavyweight trilogy in UFC history.
Did Daniel Cormier really retire after UFC 252?
Yes. UFC 252 was his final professional fight. He announced his retirement in the post-fight interview to Joe Rogan and has held to it. He transitioned immediately into a full-time UFC broadcasting role and has not returned to competition. Cormier ended his career 22-3 (1 NC) with two UFC titles.
What happened to O'Malley's foot at UFC 252?
A peroneal nerve issue — the result of accumulated calf-kick damage from training and earlier fights — caused O'Malley's right foot to drop suddenly mid-round one. His mobility collapsed; he could not pivot or generate the kicks that defined his striking game. Vera capitalised within seconds, dragging him to the ground and finishing with elbows. O'Malley has consistently maintained the injury, not Vera's skill, decided the result.
Did O'Malley and Vera ever rematch?
Yes. They rematched at UFC 299 in March 2024, by which point O'Malley was the reigning UFC bantamweight champion. O'Malley won by unanimous decision in a comprehensive five-round performance, effectively closing the rivalry.
Was UFC 252 Miocic's last UFC title defense?
Yes. UFC 252 was the third and final successful title defense of Stipe Miocic's second heavyweight title reign. He lost the belt to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021 (second-round KO), did not fight again for over three years, and lost his retirement bout against Jon Jones at UFC 309 in November 2024.
How does UFC 252 compare to UFC 251?
UFC 252 drew approximately 450,000 PPV buys — roughly one-third of UFC 251 from five weeks earlier (1.3 million). The gap reflected the absence of a three-title-fight card and the inherent commercial limit of a heavyweight trilogy whose first two chapters had been written two and one years prior.
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