Las Vegas – Recognition as the greatest heavyweight in UFC^® history is on the line, as champion Stipe Miocic and former champion and No. 1 ranked contender Daniel Cormier battle in a rubber match main event for the ages. In the co-main event, budding superstar and No. 14 ranked bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley takes on the toughest test of his young MMA career when he meets proven finisher Marlon Vera.

UFC^® 252: MIOCIC vs. CORMIER 3 will take place Saturday, August 15 at UFC APEX in Las Vegas and will stream live on Pay-Per-View, exclusively through ESPN+ in the U.S. at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT in both English and Spanish.

ESPN+ is the exclusive provider of all UFC Pay-Per-View events to fans in the U.S. as part of an agreement announced in 2019.

Preliminary fights will air nationally on ESPN, ESPN Deportes (Spanish), and ESPN+ (English, Spanish), starting at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT, with the first four bouts also simulcast on UFC Fight Pass.

The most successful heavyweight champion in UFC history, Miocic (19-3, fighting out of Independence, Ohio) looks to cement his legacy with another statement win over Cormier. Owner of the most total post-fight bonuses in the heavyweight division with nine, Miocic has earned career-defining stoppage victories over fellow legends Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum and Mark Hunt. He now intends to add another finish to his resume and defend his belt for a record-setting fourth time.

Competing for the final time, former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Cormier (22-2 1 NC, fighting out of San Jose, Calif.) aims to end his career on a high note by once again defeating Miocic and recapturing the heavyweight crown. A former Olympic wrestling team captain, Cormier has established himself as one of the best mixed martial artists in the world with marquee wins over Anderson Silva, Derrick Lewis and Anthony Johnson. He now looks to further solidify his future hall of fame status.

One of the fastest rising superstars on the UFC roster, O’Malley (12-0, fighting out of Glendale, Ariz.) seeks to show that he has the skills to justify his hype. An undefeated signee first discovered on Dana White’s Contender Series, O’Malley burst onto the MMA scene with impressive wins over Alfred Khashakyan, Jose Quinonez and Eddie Wineland. He now goes for his most crucial win yet on the biggest stage of his career.

A member of the UFC roster since 2014, Vera (15-6, fighting out of Chone, Manabi, Ecuador) looks to secure the biggest win of his career and announce himself as the next true contender in the bantamweight division. Still only 27 years old, Vera has competed 14 times under the UFC banner with all but one of his wins coming by finish, including victories over Brian Kelleher, Brad Pickett and Andre Ewell. He now aims to derail the hype train of O’Malley by handing him his first professional loss.

Additional bouts on the card include:

• Top heavyweight contenders faceoff in a battle of formidable strikers as former champion and No. 5 ranked Junior Dos Santos (21-7, fighting out of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) meets No. 6 ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1, fighting out of Paramaribo District, Suriname)
• No. 12 ranked bantamweight John Dodson (22-11, fighting out of Albuquerque, N.M.) aims to halt the momentum of No. 15 ranked Merab Dvalishvili (11-4, fighting out of Long Island, N.Y. by way of Tbilisi, Georgia)
• A highly-anticipated light heavyweight rematch sees No. 14 ranked Magomed Ankalaev (13-1, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) take on Ion Cutelaba (15-5 1 NC, fighting out of Chisinau, Moldova)
• Fan-favorite lightweight Jim Miller (32-14 1 NC, fighting out of Sparta, N.J.) looks to add another finish to his impressive resume in a contest with fellow veteran Vinc Pichel (12-2, fighting out of Simi Valley, Calif.)
• Decorated grapplers Ashley Yoder (7-5, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.) and Livinha Souza (13-2, fighting out of Araraquara, State of São Paulo, Brazil) clash in a women’s strawweight bout
• Fast-rising featherweight Herbert Burns (11-2, fighting out of Latana, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) looks to remain undefeated in the UFC when he battles Daniel Pineda (26-13, 2 NC, fighting out of Houston, Texas)
• No. 15 ranked women’s strawweight Felice Herrig (14-8, fighting out of Crystal Lake, Ill.) looks to defend her spot in the rankings against Virna Jandiroba (15-1, fighting out of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil)
• Dana White’s Contender Series signee TJ Brown (14-7, fighting out of Little Rock, Ark.) looks to spoil the debut of UFC newcomer Danny Chavez (10-3, fighting out of Miami, Fla.) in a featherweight bout

For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

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About UFC^®

UFC^® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 318 million fans and 102 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world, while broadcasting to nearly one billion TV households across more than 175 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 65 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS^®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC was acquired in 2016 by global entertainment, sports and content company Endeavor, along with strategic investors Silver Lake Partners and KKR. UFC is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram: @UFC.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the leading direct-to-consumer sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown quickly to 7.9 million subscribers, offering fans thousands of live events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Programming on ESPN+ includes exclusive UFC and Top Rank boxing events, thousands of college sports events (including football and basketball) from more than a dozen sports at 20 conferences, hundreds of MLB and NHL games, top domestic and international soccer (Serie A, MLS, FA Cup, Bundesliga – beginning in 2020, EFL Championship and Carabao Cup, Eredivisie), Grand Slam tennis, international and domestic rugby and cricket, exclusive ESPN+ Original series, acclaimed studio shows and the full library of ESPN’s award-winning 30 for 30 films.

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) through the ESPN App, (on mobile and connected devices), ESPN.com or ESPNplus.com.  It is also available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+ — all for just $12.99/month

About ESPN

ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – nine U.S. television networks, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN International, ESPN The Magazine and more.  ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.

Kamaru Usman defended the UFC Welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

In round one, Masvidal was cut over his right eye from an accidental headbutt.

Usman was content to grind Masvidal up against the cage and land strikes on the inside. Masvidal came out aggressive, but only had a few flashes with hard shots. Usman was able to control Masvidal by taking him down five times, and that was combined with a 263-88 strike advantage.

Usman, 170 lbs of Dallas won by scores of 50-45 twice and 49-46 to raise his mark to 17-1. Masvidal, who took the fight on six days notice is 35-14.

Alexander Volkanovski retained the UFC Featherweight title with a split decision Max Holloway.

The fight was close as it seemed that Holloway was in control by winning the opening two frames. Volkanovski got going at the end of round three, and won the last two rounds by out landing the former champion.

Volkanovski, 145 lbs of Australia won two cards 48-47; Holloway won a card 48-47.

Volkanovski is now 22-1. Holloway of Hawaii is 21-6.

Petr Yan won the UFC Bantamweight title with a 5th round stoppage over former three-time world champion Jose Aldo.

It was a close fight for the first two-plus rounds. Yan slowly broke Aldo down and in round four, he started to batter the former champion. In round five, Yan got Aldo down and landed close 60 punches while was on the ground. The referee finally stopped the fight as Aldo was bloodied and beat up at 3:24.

Yan, 135 lbs of Russia is 15-1. Aldo, 135 lbs of Brazil is 28-7.

Rose Namajunas got revenge and won a split decision over Jessica Andrade in a strawweight bout.

In round one, Andrade started bleeding from the nose. Namajunas boxed very well over the 1st two round. Andrade came on strong in the final round by landing some heavy punches that made the nose of Namajnas start to bleed badly, and swelled under the left eye.

Namajunas won two cards 29-28; Andrade took a card 29-28.

Namajunas, 116 lbs of Denver is 10-4. Andrade, 115 lbs of Brazil is 20-8.

Amanda Ribas submitted Paige VanZant in the 1st round of their flyweight bout.

Despite bleeding from her nose, Ribas was able to get VanZant in an Armbar that made her tap at 2:21.

Ribas, 126 lbs of Brazil is 10-1. VanZant, 126 lbs of Portland, OR is 8-5.

Jiri Prochazka scored a sensational 2nd round stoppage over former world title challenger Volkan Oezdemir in a light heavyweight bout.

After a 1st round that saw both guys land big punches, Prochazka landed a booming 1-2 combination that sent Oezdemir down and out at 49 seconds.

Prochazka, 205.5 lbs of The Czech Republic was making his UFC debut and is now 27-3-1. Oezdemir, 205.5 lbs of Switzerland is 21-5.

Muslin Salikhov won a split decision over Elizeu Dos Santos in a welterweight fight.

Salikhov won by scores of 30-27 and 29-28; Dos Santos too a card 29-28.

Salikhov is 17-2. Dos Santos is 22-7.

Makwan Amirkhani choked out Danny Henry in the opening round of their featherweight bout.

Amirkhani was able to get Henry down and apply a choke that forced the fight to be stopped at 3:15.

Amirkhani, 146 lbs of Turku, FIN is 16-4. Henry, 146 lbs of Edinburgh, SCO is 12=4.

Leonardo Santos won a unanimous decision over Roman Bogatov in a lightweight fight.

In round two, Santos landed about 20 unanswered blows for which Bogatov could have been stopped. Somehow Bogatov came back to land some vicious shots on Santos. Santos looked beat as he started round three, but he was aided by time for two low blows committed by Bogatov. Late in round three, Bogatov landed a vicious knee to the face foe which he was deducted two points.

Santos, 156 lbs of Brazil won by scores of 29-26 on all cards, and is now 18-4-1. Bogatov, 155.5 lbs of Russia is 10-1.

Marcin Tybura won a unanimous decision over Maxim Grishin in a heavyweight bout.

In round three, Grishin was bleeding over the right eye.

Tybura, 252 lbs of Poland won by scores of 30-27 twice and 30-26 and is now 19-6. Grishin, 226 lbs of Russia is 30-8-2.

Rulian Paiva won a unanimous decision over Zhalgas Zhumagulov in a flyweight fight.

Paiva of Brazil won by scores of 29-28 on all cards, and is now 20-3. Zhumagulov, 126 lbs of Akobe, KAZ is 13-4.

Zhumagulov deserved better as he outstruck Paiva 73-56.

Karol Rosa won a unanimous decision over Vanessa Melo in a battle of Brazilian based bantamweights.

Rosa, 136 lbs won by scores of 30-26 twice and 30-27 and is now 13-3. Melo, 141 lbs of Sao Paulo is 10-8.

Rosa outstruck Melo 177-78.

Davey Grant scored a vicious 3rd round stoppage over Martin Day in a bantamweight fight.

Grant landed a crushing left that sent Day out cold on his back at 2:38 of round three.

Grant, 136 lbs of South Auckland, UK is 12-4. Day, 136 lbs of Kailua, Hawaii is 8-4.

Follow all the action as it happens as Kamaru Usman defends The UFC Welterweight Title against Jorge Masvida; Also Alexander Volkonovksy defends the Featherweight title in a rematch against Max Hollowa; Petr Yan and Jose Aldo vie for the vacant bantamweight title.   The Prelims kick off at 6 PM ET with main card beginning at 10 PM.

The page will update automatically every 60 seconds…NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1 Usman takes Masvidal down..Elbow…Front Lock…Jab…Masvidal lands an elbow..Masvidal cut around left eye…Left From Masvidal..Jab from Usman..Jab from Usman..Left from Masvidal..Right..Body shot from Usman

Round 2 Elbow inside for Masvidal..Good right from Usman..Masvidal cut on forehead..Usman shouldering to the body in the clinch..Combinaton from Masvidal..

Round 3 Kick to body from Masvidal..Usman hits Masvidal with low blow..Takedown by Usman..Another takedown..Elbow on the ground

Round 4 Takedown by Usman..Left from Masvidal..Body..Jab from Usman..Big left..Right

Round 5  Body shot from Usman..Counter from Masvidal..Takedown for Usman..Left from Masvidal

50-45 TWICE AND 49-46 FOR USMAN

Round 1 Body shot from Holloway…Nice Right..Volkanovski has a mouse under right eye..Nice right from Volkanovski..Right kick drops Volkanovski

Round 2 Big combination from Holloway..Knee to midsection..Left hook from Volkanoski..Right hand drops Volkanovski

Round 3 Solid leg kick from Volkanovski…Nice Knee from Holloway..Left from Volkanovksi…Body..Nice Jab

Round 4 Holloway landing at distance

Round 5 Good left from Holloway..Nice right from Volkanovski..Takedown..Left..Good left hook..Takedown

48-47 TWICE FOR VOLKANOVSKIL 48-47 FOR HOLLOWAY

Round 1 Big right from Yan..Leg kick drops Yan..Body shot from Aldo..Body shot from Yan..Leg Kick from Aldo..Leg kick to the body..Hard right from Yan..Hard shots from Yan in the Ground and Pound

Round 2 Inside leg kick for Aldo..Leg Kick..Another..Another..Left from Yan..Jab from Aldo..body shot

Round 3 Body shot from Yan  Body shot from Aldo,,,Body shot from Aldo..Hard body shot..Lead right from Yan..Jab..Body shot from Aldo..Uppercut..Elbow from Yan

Round 4 Body kick from Yan..Body shot from Aldo..Body shot from Yan..Aldo bleeding from the nose..2 hard uppercuts and a right from Yan..Ground and pound..Heavy shots on the ground..Flush head shots

Round 5  Big shot drops Aldo.  Heavy shots on the ground..Huge elbow..Crushing elbow…20 unaswered..Aldo bleeding badly..Yan lands about 50 more sHOTS UNTIL THE FIGHT IS MERCIFULLY STOPPED 

Round 1 Jab from Namajunas..Left hook from Andrade..Big right from Namajunas..Right from Andrade…Andrade bleeding from nose..Knee from Namajunas..Nice right..Knee
Round 2 Big body shot from Namajunas…Big right from Andrade…1-2 from Namajunas..Knee..Nice 1-2;..2 lefts from Andrade
Round 3 Body shot from Andrade,,Right…Jab from Namajunas..Right wobbles Namajunas..Big takedown..Namajunas bleeding from the nose..1-2 from Namajunas..Right from Andrade..Jab…Takedown from Namajunas..Hard jab from Andrade…

Round 1 Ribas lands a body kick..Left hand..Hard Takedown..Ribas bleeding from nose…RIBAS GETS AN ARMBAR AND VANZANT TAPS

Round 1 Oezdemir lands a right..Hard jab by Poachazka..2 hard shots from Oezdemir…Uppercut from Prochazka..Kick..Counter from Oezdemir..2 punches land..Both landing jabs
Round 2 Jab from Prochazka…HUGE RIGHT HAND AND DOWN GOES OEZDEMIR AND HE OS KNOCKED OUT

Round 1 Salikhov lands a right..Spinning kick..Hard left hook..Hard right hurts Salikhov..Ground strikes
Round 2 1-2 from Dos Santos..Huge Right..Uppercut from Salikhov
Round 3 Dos Santos lands a hard front kick

30-27 Salikhov; 29-28 Dos Santos and 29-28 Salikhov

Round 1 Flying knee from Amirkhani..Guillitone choke attempt...HE CHOKES HIM OUT

Round 1 Right from Santos..Nice Kick..Body kick from Bogatov
Round 2 Santos lands a double jab…Santos lands 9 straight hard flush shots..Bogatov is reeling all over the cage..he is in big trouble…Big Leg kick…Ground and pound ..Bogatov somehow gets on top of Santos and lands some ground shots.
Round 3 Bogatov lands a low blow…Santos looks tired..Another low blow..Takedown for Bogatov…Knee to the face while Santos is down=Illegal Knee..HE IS DEDUCTED 2 POINTS

Round 1 Nice Elbow from Tybura
Round 2 Nice elbow from Grishin..Good counter right from Tybura..Short knee from Grishin..Counter from Tybura..Takedown
Round 3 Takedown for Tybura..Grishin bleeding over the right eye

30-27 TWICE AND 30-26 FOR TYBURA

Round 1 3 leg kicks from Paiva..Nice counter..Solid right..Ripping body shot..Vicious inside leg kick..Zhumagulov lands a right..Right..Body shot..Takedown
Round 2 Big right from Zhumagulov..Jab..Body shot..paiva lands a body..Counter from Zhumagulov..Good combination..Takedown
Round 3 Nice Right from Zhumagulov..Takedown..Straight left…Low bow kick by Paiva…Takedown for Zhumagulov..

29-28 on all cards for Paiva

Round 1 Big right for Rosa..Inside leg kick..Takedown
Round 2 Right hand from Rosa..Knee from Melo…good 1-2..Heavy left hook from Rosa..Takedown for Rosa..Ground elbows..Heavy shots on the ground,,More hard Ground strikes..
Round 3 Knee from Rosa..Nice elbow..Melo lands a right

Round 1 Huge Right by Day drops Grant
Round 2 Body shot lands for Day..Front Kick by Grant..Right hand..Right..Combination..Flying Knee..Body..4 Punch combination Day..Lead Elbow..Nice right..Grant is applying an arm-bar
Round 3 Right from Day..Right over the top..1-2..E;bow from Grant..Rips the body..Right from Day..Combination from Grant..Right over the top..HUGE LEFT AND DOWN GOES DAY AND HE IS OUT COLD…FIGHT OVER