UFC 252: “Miocic vs. Cormier 3” updated fight card and rumors

UFC 252, scheduled for August 15 at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, is starting to look like the kind of card that shouldn’t be missed.

UFC 252 will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between the division’s reigning champion Stipe Miocic and it’s former ruler Daniel Cormier.

Cormier and Miocic have fought twice previously. They first met in 2018 when Cormier, then the light heavyweight champion, moved up to heavyweight division to challenge Miocic for the division’s ultimate prize. Cormier won that first contest by first-round knockout. After Cormier defended the heavyweight title against Derrick Lewis later that year, he and Miocic then rematched in 2019. That time around, Miocic evened the scored, weathering some early adversity to stop Cormier in the fourth round and reclaim the heavyweight title.

Heading into his UFC 252 rematch with Miocic, Cormier has made it clear that he intends to retire after the bout, win or lose.

“I will not be goaded into fight again after this, I’m going to ride off into the sunset,” Cormier told ESPN ahead of UFC 252. “I’m going to ride my old buggy like the Beverly Hillbillies into the sunset, popping and just going crazy down the road. I’m going to be ready to go.

“I love the game but I’m really loving the commentary, I’m really loving what life looks like after fighting but I have unfinished business before I can do that.”

In addition to this tie-breaking heavyweight trilogy fight, UFC 252 is expected to feature a clash between Surinamese striker Jairzinho Rozenstruik and former heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos, a rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba, and the UFC debut of former RIZIN bantamweight champion Manel Kape.

See the fights confirmed for the UFC 252 lineup announced so far below (via MMA Mania):

UFC 252 Main Event 

265 lbs.: UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier

UFC 252 Announced Bouts

265 lbs.: Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
115 lbs.: Livinha Souza vs. Ashley Yoder
205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba
115 lbs.: Felice Herrig vs. Virna Jandiroba
135 lbs.: Rogerio Bontorin vs. Manel Kape
170 lbs.: Zelim Imadaev vs. Laureano Staropoli

The UFC 252 main card will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view. The undercard will air on ESPN+ and ESPN.