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| Image: TheExtra.ie |
In the same city where their first summer showdown took place in front of a crowd 17,000 strong, Miocic and Cormier waged war and went the distance, as the Ohio native's clinch work and boxing made the difference in UFC 252's main event.
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| Image: Daily Mail |
There was an upset in the co-main event as Sean O'Malley's unbeaten run came to an end at the hands of a fired-up Marlon Vera, sustaining a leg injury en route to being stopped with brutal elbows on the ground.
In the main card's other heavyweight showdown, Jairzinho Rozenstruik picked up the biggest win of his career, getting back on track by stopping Junior Dos Santos in the second round.
Dvalishvili shuts down Dodson
Merab Dvalishvili def. John Dodson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Merab Dvalishvili picked up a signature win over former flyweight title challenger John Dodson, piling on the pressure over three rounds en route to a lopsided unanimous decision victory.
The intense Georgian more than held his own in the striking front, while it was the close quarters fighting where he pulled ahead. Some excellent work in the clinch saw Dvalishvili relentlessly knee away at the thighs of the American, before a couple of takedown attempts - although Dodson was extremely difficult to pin down. Clearly stifled, Dodson was subdued in his attack, with just a few inside leg kicks to answer to the barrage coming his way. A spinning back fist, lead elbow and big right hand would be some of the shots that would later land, the pace never slowing as Dvalishvili notched a fifth straight win.
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| Image: MMA Junkie / USA TODAY |
Play with fire, you beat Burns
Daniel Pineda def. Herbert Burns via TKO (elbows), round 2 (4:37)
Few were banking on Daniel Pineda to mount a challenge against jiu-jitsu age Herbert Burns - but when he had the jiu-jitsu ace trapped in a crucifix and began to rain down elbows, the writing was on the wall as he secured a huge upset.
Returning to the Octagon for the first time in 6 years, Pineda made a superb start, buzzing the Brazilian with a swift right hand. The grappling of jiu-jitsu black belt Burns was expected to be the narrative of the fight but Pineda had different plans, landing an elbow in the back clinch moments after his eye was sliced open by a knee. With some good work in close quarters, Pineda threw caution to the wind and took Burns down, landing some excellent ground-and-pound and easily shrugging off Burns' attempts to throw up a triangle.
Burns needed something big in the second round and he appeared to be getting just that, with a right hand and takedown, where he would spend time on top with some shots landing. Pineda shifted his hips up at the right time to scramble out and end up in a worse position for a short moment, before rolling round and passing guard to side control, securing a crucifix position and raining down elbows and punches on a helpless Burns until the referee called the fight.
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| Image: Super Lutas |
"Bigi Boy" back on track
Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Junior Dos Santos via TKO (punches), round 2 (3:47)
There was a reason Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Junior Dos Santos were so tentative through the two rounds of their heavyweight feature at UFC 252 - it was the Suriname native who proved just why with a crushing right hand that folded the former champion to bounce back from his defeat to Ngannou in May.
Respect was in abundance with both fighters landing glancing shots, JDS was going for the right hand frequently but it wasn't enough to put away his counterpart. Some leg kicks exchanged by both and a wheel kick attempt from the Brazilian closed out the first stanza.
JDS backed up Rozenstruik with a straight right early in the second, but when "Bigi Boy" was putting the pressure up, using the small cage to block any escape from JDS, he landed a crushing right hand that folded Dos Santos, before some follow up that saw the former champion crumple to the canvas, and that was all she wrote.
Rozenstruik dominates with the TKO #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/TFw3s9J6Bh
— Sideline Sports (@sportsideline) August 16, 2020
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| Image: MMA Mania |
Vera victorious in Suga-free co-main
Marlon Vera def. Sean O'Malley via TKO (elbows and punches), round 1 (4:40)
Marlon Vera's sixth straight win as a big one, as he knocked off prospect Sean O'Malley in the first round, damaging the right leg of "Suga" and capitalising with some big ground-and-pound for the win.
All the hype was on O'Malley as he looked to pull off another huge performance on his rise to stardom, landing some huge leg kicks as the Ecuadorian tried to get into range. Vera was trying to rush into range as O'Malley went for kicks. The fight completely changed when OMalley's leg buckled on him, potentially from a leg kick that had the right leg of the prospect completely compromised. He tried to work through it as Vera began to pile the pressure on, and after a few right hands he was pushed off balance, stumbling down as Vera pounced, landing a couple of big elbows in full guard that stopped the fight.
A mountain too Stipe for DC as Miocic wins the trilogy
Image: Getty Images
Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
Stipe Miocic fended off Daniel Cormier's threats en route to a unanimous decision defence of the UFC heavyweight crown, closing out the trilogy in epic fashion.
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Flashbacks of what finished the second fight were seen much earlier this time, when the champion landed a crushing left hook to the body. DC took no chances this time, grabbing a single leg and briefly putting Miocic on the canvas, before he worked his way out of the front head lock. Eye pokes emerged to be a problem yet again in the trilogy fight, as there was a pause in the action due to Cormier's poke, and that hardly slowed down Miocic - coming back with some clean work to the body. However it was the challenger who finished the first stanza the strongest, landing some short right hooks in the clinch, one of them wobbling Miocic as he almost stole the round.
DC shrugged off an unintentional groin strike before eating some uppercuts from the champion whose boxing was on point in the fight. Speaking of the sweet science however, Cormier's jab was setting up more shots as he pressed forward. It was Stipe who initiated the clinch this time, and then he would catch Cormier backing up, making him bite on a feint and throwing several right hooks in succession that dropped DC. He was in mount to finish the round, with a wobbly Cormier struggling to walk in a straight line back to his corner.
As expected a stunned Cormier began the third on the bcakfoot, as the Ohioan took the initiative, coming forward and going for one-twos to do more damage. He also was beginning to impose his will in the clinch, pressing his opponent up against the fence and even audaciously attempting - and landing - a spinning backfist to the body. Another clinch later in the round ended with a strong flurry on the exit, before a big moment in the fight - Miocic's overextended right hand saw one of his fingers gauge and damage Cormier's left eye, impairing his vision.
While he may have been struggling to see the task at hand, DC definitely knew it. He landed a solid one-two combination prior to being clinched and controlled for a big segment of the round. Miocic then rattled Cormier with a right hand, and both walked off even before the final buzzer, setting up for a nail-biting finale to the trilogy.
After a quick embrace in what would be round 10 between the two heavyweights, Stipe controlled DC against the fence to halt chances of a stunning comeback. He did attempt to walk Stipe down but he was eating jabs or being taken with the under-hooks. Miocic's pace was gradually wilting though as Cormier pressed forward, pursuing a choke temporarily, before Miocic was able to regain control and see out the fight.
While competitive, Stipe had done more than enough to retain his world heavyweight championship. Few expected him to win the grappling exchanges, but forcing his weight against the fence under secure under-hooks slowed down DC's pace, ruined his rhythm and prevented any short rights from clocking him. DC had his moments, but after being dropped late in the second he was unable to sustain control for a long time, and perhaps the eye poke later in the third didn't help either. It remained a definitive ending to the trilogy.
AND STILL!
— SportingMatrix (@Sporting_Matrix) August 16, 2020
Stipe Miocic retains his heavyweight title in the trilogy. #UFC252 pic.twitter.com/6ajz1lVPnz
