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 500,000 pay-per-view buys.
Stipe Miocic defended the heavyweight title via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) over Cormier, completing a 2-1 series victory. The co-main saw Sean O'Malley suffer his first UFC loss via a Marlon Vera TKO at 4:40 of round one after O'Malley's right foot gave out from nerve damage. Jairzinho Rozenstruik scored a thunderous second-round KO of Junior dos Santos.
Contents
• Introduction
• Quick Stats
• The Build-Up
• Main Event
• Co-Main Event
• Full Results
• Bonuses & Awards
• Records & Milestones
• Legacy & Impact
• FAQ
• References
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: ~500,000
📡 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, 48-47)
🥇 Co-Main: Marlon Vera def. Sean O'Malley via TKO (elbows) — R1, 4:40 — Bantamweight
The Build-Up
The Miocic-Cormier rivalry was one of the defining storylines of late-2010s heavyweight MMA. UFC 226 (2018) — Cormier KO'd Miocic R1 to claim a second division title. UFC 241 (2019) — Miocic came back from behind, found Cormier's body in R4, and reclaimed the title via TKO. UFC 252 was the inevitable trilogy.
Main Event: Miocic vs. Cormier 3
Miocic fought the most disciplined fight of his career, moving laterally and doubling jabs at distance. By round three, an incidental eye poke by Miocic damaged Cormier's left eye and it was beginning to swell shut. Rounds four and five were decisive: Miocic opened up and Cormier — nearly blind in the left eye — could not generate offence. Final significant strikes: Miocic 132, Cormier 84. Scorecards: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47 for Miocic.
In his post-fight interview, Cormier confirmed his retirement: 'That's it. I won't be back.' His UFC career ended with a 22-3 record, two division titles, and a transition immediately into UFC broadcasting.
Co-Main Event: O'Malley vs. Vera
Through three minutes of round one, O'Malley was winning. At around the 3:30 mark of round one, a sudden weight shift caused O'Malley's right foot to drop — the result of nerve damage from low-kick exchanges. Marlon Vera capitalised immediately, pressing forward, dragging O'Malley to the ground, and unloading a sequence of elbows that referee Herb Dean stopped at 4:40.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Stipe Miocic (c) def. Daniel Cormier — Unanimous Decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — 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, 4:37 — Featherweight (POTN)
Merab Dvalishvili def. John Dodson — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) — Bantamweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Kai Kamaka def. Tony Kelley — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — Featherweight (FOTN)
Virna Jandiroba def. Felice Herrig — Submission (armbar) — R1, 1:44 — Strawweight (POTN)
Danny Chavez def. TJ Brown — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — Featherweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night ($50,000 each): Kai Kamaka and Tony Kelley, for their competitive featherweight decision.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Daniel Pineda — $50,000 for the R2 elbow TKO of Herbert Burns at 4:37.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Virna Jandiroba — $50,000 for the R1 armbar submission of Felice Herrig.
Records & Milestones
• Miocic's third successful UFC Heavyweight Championship defense of his second reign.
• Daniel Cormier's final professional fight. Retired with a 22-3 record and two UFC titles.
• Final Miocic-Cormier trilogy record: 2-1 Miocic. Scorecards in UFC 252: 49-46, 49-46, 48-47.
• Sean O'Malley's first UFC loss, ending a 12-0 professional record.
• FOTN Kamaka/Kelley; POTN Pineda and Jandiroba — no Performance bonus for Vera or Rozenstruik.
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.
FAQ
Who won the Miocic-Cormier trilogy overall?
Stipe Miocic, 2-1. Cormier won UFC 226 by R1 KO. Miocic won UFC 241 by R4 TKO and UFC 252 by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). The series 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. 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 caused O'Malley's right foot to drop suddenly mid-round one. His mobility collapsed; Vera capitalised within seconds, dragging him to the ground and finishing with elbows at 4:40.
Who got the UFC 252 bonuses?
Fight of the Night: Kai Kamaka and Tony Kelley ($50k each). Performance of the Night: Daniel Pineda ($50k for the R2 elbow TKO of Herbert Burns at 4:37) and Virna Jandiroba ($50k for the R1 armbar of Felice Herrig).
References
UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier 3 — Wikipedia