One more fight. That’s what Daniel Cormier is promising. And it doesn’t come any bigger than his UFC 252 main event vs. Stipe Miocic on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Cormier (22-2, 1 NC) will close a legendary MMA career by challenging Miocic (19-3) for the heavyweight title. This fight caps one of the most memorable trilogies in combat sports history. Cormier won the title from Miocic via knockout in 2018. Miocic regained the belt last summer with a fourth-round TKO.
ESPN has Miocic ranked as the No. 4 pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world and Cormier is No. 6. Both men are surefire future UFC Hall of Famers. UFC president Dana White has said that there is no debate that Miocic vs. Cormier 3 will decide who is the greatest heavyweight in MMA history.
In the co-main event, undefeated prospect Sean O’Malley takes on Marlon Vera in a pivotal bantamweight matchup. O’Malley (12-0) has won twice this year by first-round KO/TKO and is one of the hottest prospects in the sport. Vera (15-6-1) was on a five-fight winning streak prior to his previous bout, a very close split decision loss to Song Yadong in May.
Also on the card, Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik meet in a key heavyweight battle. ESPN has dos Santos ranked No. 5 at heavyweight in MMA and Rozenstruik at No. 9. Plus, Merab Dvalishvili meets John Dodson in a bantamweight fight and Felice Herrig returns from a two-year injury absence to face former Invicta FC strawweight champion Virna Jandiroba.
Marc Raimondi, Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim recap the action as it happens in Las Vegas.
Fight in progress:
Strawweight: Ashley Yoder (7-5, 2-4 UFC, +140) vs. Livinha Souza (13-2, 2-1 UFC, -160)
Results:
Heavyweight: Chris Daukaus (9-3, 1-0 UFC) defeats Parker Porter (10-6, 0-1 UFC) by first-round TKO
Daukaus is no small man. He’s weighed in for MMA fights at above the 250-pound mark. But when it comes to speed and agility, Daukaus operates like a much smaller human being.
Using some impressive boxing and footwork, Daukaus, a Philadelphia police officer, stopped Porter by TKO at 4:28 of the first round in a battle between heavyweights debuting in the UFC.
Daukaus dropped Parker earlier in the round with a slick combination. To set up the finish, he slipped a combination and landed a sharp right cross to put Porter on his heels. Daukaus poured it on with combinations and Porter shrank away toward the fence, which led to Daukaus landing a big knee that sent Porter crashing to the canvas. Referee Herb Dean had to step in at that point.
Was definitely rooting for my man Parker Porter, just glad to see him make it to the Ufc. 🤙🏾 That man has been working for a long time to get here, nothing but respect.
— BONY (@JonnyBones) August 15, 2020
In his postfight interview, Daukaus said while his peers are “big heavyweights throwing bombs” he’s focused on “staying tight” with clean boxing honed at Martinez BJJ in Philadelphia.
Daukaus, 30, has won two straight now. His brother, Kyle, also fights in the UFC. Porter, 35, saw a two-fight winning streak snapped. The barrel-chested Connecticut native weighed 290 pounds last week, per his manager Tyson Chartier, and was able to make weight at 264.5 pounds Friday.
— Raimondi
Featherweight: Kai Kamaka (8-2, 1-0 UFC) defeats Tony Kelley (5-2, 0-1 UFC) by unanimous decision
Featherweight newcomer Kai Kamaka picked up his first win in the UFC — and sixth consecutive overall — by defeating Tony Kelley via unanimous decision.
The 145-pound bout was incredibly high-paced and saw Kamaka become the first fighter in UFC history to land 100 significant strikes and score five takedowns in his UFC debut. Kamaka, 25, won the bout via scores of 29-28.
Great scrap!! Those liver body shots 💥 Way to kick off the card💯 #UFC252
— Charles Rosa (@CharlesRosaMMA) August 15, 2020
Fighting out of Pearl City, Hawai’i, Kamaka seized control of the fight early, as he walked Kelley down with right hands and body work. Kelley responded well at times with outside leg kicks and the jab, but Kamaka’s strikes had far more weight behind them, and he seemed to find his range well.
Kamaka showed off his ground game in the second round, working some good ground-and-pound throughout. Kelley responded in a big way in the third, however, as he repeatedly reached for the clinch and threw stinging knees to Kamaka’s midsection. Kamaka responded with flurries to the body of his own, but Kelley landed the better offense in the third.
Kamaka earned a UFC roster spot on short notice, after the UFC lost a main card bout to a positive COVID-19 test earlier this week.
— Okamoto
Still to come:
UFC heavyweight title fight: Stipe Miocic (c) (19-3, 13-3 in the UFC, +100) vs. Daniel Cormier (22-2, 1 NC; 11-2, 1 NC UFC, -120)
Men’s bantamweight: Sean O’Malley (12-0, 4-0 UFC, -300) vs. Marlon Vera (15-6-1, 9-5 UFC, +250)
Heavyweight: Junior Dos Santos (21-7, 15-6 UFC, +110) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1, 4-1 UFC, -130)
Men’s featherweight: Herbert Burns (11-2, 2-0 UFC, -265) vs. Daniel Pineda (26-13, 3-4 UFC, +225)
Men’s bantamweight: John Dodson (22-11, 10-6 UFC, +210) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (11-4, 4-2 UFC, -250)
Lightweight: Jim Miller 32-14, 22-13 1 NC UFC, +105) vs. Vinc Pichel (12-2, 5-2 UFC, -125)
Strawweight: Felice Herrig (14-8, 5-3 UFC, +250) vs. Virna Jandiroba (15-1, 1-1 UFC, -300)
Men’s featherweight: TJ Brown (14-7, 0-1 UFC, -150) vs. Danny Chavez (10-3, 0-0 UFC, +130)
(c) = defending champion