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UFC 252 took place at the Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It saw the conclusion of the legendary trilogy between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. Who walked out as the greatest heavyweight on the planet? Did Daniel Cormier truly retire?
It was an eventful card from start to finish and here's what went down. Let's start with the Bantamweights who kicked off the PPV main card:
#5. John Dodson vs Merab Dvalishvili - Did the UFC veteran stop the up-and-comer?
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Round 1: UFC veteran John Dodson charged forward and Dvalishvili kept his distance. Dvalishvili got the takedown and pressed him up against the fence followed up by some knees to the leg. They separated and continued to keep their distance. Dodson went forward with a few attempts but none landed. However, it was a weak round for the UFC veteran and a strong one for the Georgian.
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Round 2: John Dodson had a nice leg kick early on in the second round. Dvalishvili lifted him but didn't get credit for the takedown. However, he continued to be the aggressor. Dvalishvili landed a back fist and a right hook. Dodson landed another low kick but Dvalishvili continued to press forward. Dodson's corner insisted that he 'let it go' and he responded but he nearly got taken down to end the round.
Round 3: John Dodson landed one decent shot in the first minute, only for Dvalishvili to respond with a slight grin. Dvalishvili got a takedown but didn't do much with it as Dodson got right back up. Dodson landed one big right but Merab responded with a leg kick. Merab landed a second right hand and Dodson grinned, indicating that it hurt. The fight finished and the two embraced, with Merab screaming in joy.
Merab Dvalishvili def. John Dodson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
#4. Herbert Burns vs Daniel Pineda - The ultimate UFC comeback
Round 1: UFC Featherweight Herbert Burns (brother of Gilbert Burns) ate a huge right from Daniel Pineda right from the get-go. Burns got the takedown but didn't do too much with it. Pineda reversed the position and was on top, getting the ground and pound. He continued to use elbows and strikes to Burns on the ground. He continued to stay busy and land big shots.
Round 2: Herbert Burns went for the takedown on Daniel Pineda and cut him as well. Pineda stood up but Burns had his back while Pineda kept hitting elbows on Burns' thigh. Pineda's relentlessness saw him reverse the position again. Pineda adjusted his position and trapped Burns while the referee urged him to fight back. Burns was stuck and couldn't fight back, so the referee stopped the fight.
Daniel Pineda def. Herbert Burns via TKO (2nd Round, 4:37)
It was a big win for Pineda, who returned to the Octagon after a long time away. He was ecstatic over his win and the fact that he'll be getting 20% of Herbert Burns' pur
#3. Junior dos Santos vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik - Who won the war of UFC Heavyweights?
Round 1: Jairzinho Rozenstruik started countering Junior Dos Santos' shots with low kicks but the Brazilian hit some of his own, including a kick to the head. Junior dos Santos hit a big right but it wasn't enough to knock Rozenstruik down. Rozenstruik continued to utilize low kicks to counter dos Santos. Rozenstruik caught the kick and went relentlessly against dos Santos but couldn't land accurately. A knee from Rozenstruik hit the cup of dos Santos, who had to take a moment to recover. Junior dos Santos landed a swift kick to finish the round.
Round 2: Junior dos Santos clipped Jairzinho Rozenstruik when moving backward. Rozenstruik checked dos Santos' leg kicks well. Junior dos Santos landed a nice strike and a minute later, another clean one landed. Rozenstruik didn't seem too affected by it, but he was continuously waiting for the counter left. He finally got it and landed one clean shot on dos Santos and he followed it up with a few strikes to finish it.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik def. Junior dos Santos by TKO (Rd 2, 3:47)
#2. Sean O'Malley vs Marlon Vera - Did 'Chito' end the UFC hype train?
Round 1: Sean O' Malley started with a heavy low kick. he followed up with another one. Marlon Vera went at it with a low kick and a high kick. Something seemed to happen to O' Malley's leg or knee and there was a sudden hesitancy from him. Vera started to press forward. O' Malley started to press forward but he fell down and Vera landed a vicious elbow. Even though it didn't look like O'Malley was out, the referee Herb Dean was quick to stop the contest - ending O'Malley's undefeated run.
Marol Vera def. Sean O'Malley by TKO (Rd 1, 4:40)
There was a lot of speculation as to what went wrong for Sean O'Malley. The replay showed O'Malley slip and there was an awkward fall for the #14 Bantamweight. While the stoppage seemed quite early by Herb Dean, there was no protest from Sean O'Malley - indicating that it was the right stoppage.
Marlon Vera speculated that O'Malley's leg issue may have happened when checking a kick or sometime during sparring.
#1. Stipe Miocic (c) vs Daniel Cormier - UFC Heavyweight Championship
Round 1: Stipe Miocic started with some light kicks and he opened things up with a jab. Daniel Cormier got the takedown but Miocic got up while being in a headlock. Cormier hit a nice kee while Miocic struck to the body. Miocic managed to slip his head out. The Champion got the right hand but DC landed a low kick. Miocic went over the top and Cormier landed a clean right. DC landed an eye poke - a narrative of the first two fights as well.
The two exchanged leg kicks and DC appeared to graze the groin. Miocic was clever to switch between body shots and headshots and landed for the most part. Cormier landed a massive right to end the round.
Round 2: A groin strike happened early in the round to DC. Stipe Miocic landed a big left and retreated but immediately returned to the pressure. Cormier landed a close-cut combination - similar to the first fight. DC's power was evident but he ate a body shot from Miocic. Miocic landed a big left and ate two right hands in a row. Miocic hit a close body shot and ate a few overhand rights by DC. Cormier landed a combo followed by a leg kick and a body shot. Miocic knocked DC down but the former Champion clinched while down and the buzzer saved him.
Round 3: Daniel Cormier seemed compromised after the round. Cormier was still landing but Miocic was getting shots from close range. Daniel Cormier landed a jab but Miocic was pressing and had him pressed against the fence. Miocic went forward but didn't land any significant shots until the final 10 seconds. Cormier complained about an eye poke. It was a horrible eye poke.
Round 4: Daniel Cormier's eye was severely compromised heading into round four and he said that he couldn't see through the eye. DC ate a big right. Stipe Miocic clinched and pressed him against the fence but couldn't hold it for long. Stipe Miocic ate a right but ended up pressing DC against the fence. Cormier landed two right hands to end the round.
Round 5: Stipe Miocic went to the body to start the final round. DC was pressed up against the fence. DC and Stipe Miocic had an incredible exchange. With 90 seconds left, they kept going at it and DC defended stuffed the sixth takedown attempt by Miocic. The fight ended with the two pressed up against the fence. What a trilogy.
Stipe Miocic def. Daniel Cormier by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
Daniel Cormier couldn't see out of his left eye and seemed extremely frustrated. That seemed to be the end of his run in the UFC and his MMA career.
