UFC 252 free fight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik starches Junior Albini in promotional debut

Relive Jairzinho Rozenstruik’s finish of Junior Albini as “Bigi Boy” made a big impression on his UFC debut.

[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] is not one to leave things in the hands of the judges.

Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) made his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN+ 2 in February 2019 when he faced [autotag]Junior Albini[/autotag] in enemy territory.

Albini took the fight to the mat with an early takedown on the experienced kickboxer and was able to control Rozenstruik by advancing positions and attempting submissions, but Rozenstruik hung tough. Rozenstruik momentarily made his way back up, but was taken down once again.

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This time Albini took Rozenstruik’s back, but “Bigi Boy” defended well and eventually reversed position on the Brazilian before eventually bringing the fight back into his realm by getting back to his feet.

After Rozenstruik turned up the power in Round 2 and blasted Albini with a four-piece combination, finishing with a head kick, that sent Albini to the canvas for a spectacular win.

Rozenstruik went on to stop his next three opponents, including a comeback knockout of Alistair Overeem last December. But, in his last outing, Rozenstruik suffered his first career blemish in a knockout loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 249.

Rozenstruik returns on Aug. 15 when he meets former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) at UFC 252, which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Before he faces Dos Santos, relive Rozenstruik’s finish of Albini in the video above.

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Will UFC 252 determine the Heavyweight GOAT, and what’s with all the mullets? | Spinning Back Cliqu

In this week’s edition host John Morgan, ‘Gorgeous’ George, Goze and Nolan King preview UFC 252 all the while debating their favorite mullets from MMA.

UFC 252 ‘Embedded,’ No. 1: Sean O’Malley just feels ‘super dangerous right now’

Ahead of UFC 252, go behind the scenes with Stipe Miocic, Daniel Cormier and Sean O’Malley in Episode 1 of “Embedded.”

The UFC returns to pay-per-view Saturday with UFC 252, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series is back to help build the excitement ahead of the action.

UFC 252 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streams on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

In the main event, a highly anticipated trilogy takes place as heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] will defend his title against former champ-champ [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] to settle their 1-1 tie. And in the co-headliner, rising prospect [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] in a key bantamweight showdown.

The first episode of “Embedded” follows three of the featured fighters as fight night draws near. Below is the UFC’s description:

Daniel Cormier trains in the swimming pool, practices his golf swing and watches UFC with his family. Sean O’Malley works hard and games hard. Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic shows off his man cave ahead of his rubber match against Cormier.

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Marlon Vera confident win over ‘brat’ Sean O’Malley puts him close to top five at bantamweight

Marlon Vera feels a big win over O’Malley could catapult him to the top of the rankings.

[autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag]’s next performance will have the MMA world looking closely.

The Ecuadorian fighter will be competing in the co-main event of UFC 252 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, which is being headline by a heavyweight trilogy bout between champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. And of top of getting co-main event billing on a pay-per-view card, Vera (15-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) takes on [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) – one of the most popular fighters today in the sport.

Vera is eager to get in the cage and fight O’Malley and sees it as a great opportunity to boost himself up in the rankings.

“This is a fight that puts me close to the top five,” Vera said in Spanish on Monday’s episode of “Hablemos MMA.” “We’ve seen fighters like Cody Garbrandt, who are coming off three defeats, beat someone who’s basically outside of the rankings like (Raphael) Assuncao, knocks him out, and gets in the top three above Pedro Munhoz, who knocked him out.

“So the rankings make no sense. But since this is a popularity contest, I beat the brat, and they have to put me in the top, so good for me.”

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Vera is in one of his best career moments, standing at 5-1 in his past six outings, with the lone loss being a controversial decision defeat to Song Yadong in May.

“Chito” is glad to be getting a big fight despite having come up short in his previous bout.

“They’re treating me like if I were coming off a win,” Vera said. “I’m fighting co-main event with someone who’s in the rankings, so obviously it was a robbery of a defeat. It still sets you a few steps down, but what the UFC is giving me is if I were coming off a victory. So I’m happy, and I’m going to recover what was taken from me last time.”

O’Malley has been beefing online with other fighter in the buildup to UFC 252. Vera said he doesn’t care if “Sugar” is underestimating him and finds it silly that top-ranked fighters are engaging with responding to O’Malley comments.

“I couldn’t give a sh-t if he’s underestimating me or not,” Vera said. “I don’t care what he thinks or does. What does matter is that Saturday, he’s going to have me in front of him and not those idiots that are replying to him, giving him fame and credibility.

“If I’m on top, why am I going to be trash-talking someone below me? It doesn’t have logic. The champion, himself, is replying to him. People need to use their brain a little more, but it seems they’re stupid because if I’m the champion and someone if the top-15 is talking sh-t, I’m obviously going to keep an eye on him and be ready for him, but I’m not going to be replying to someone who’s far from fighting for the title. But to each to their own. Thanks to them for making this fight bigger for me.”

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The War Room: Dan Hardy breaks down Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier 3 at UFC 252

Dan Hardy breaks down the heavyweight title trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier ahead of fight night at UFC 252.

Career legacies are on the line in the main event of UFC 252 as [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] look to bring their rivalry to a close by taking the win in the deciding bout of their heavyweight title trilogy.

Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) stunned Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in the first round at UFC 226 to capture the UFC heavyweight strap and in the process add his name to the shortlist of UFC’s simultaneous two-division champions. But Miocic struck back in the rematch at UFC 241 to finish “DC” in the fourth round and reclaim the title.

Now they are set to meet for a third and final time at UFC 252 in a fight that will go a long way to defining their respective legacies in the sport. But will it be former two-division champ Cormier who walks away with the belt, or will Miocic cement his status as the greatest UFC heavyweight champion of all time by defeating Cormier for a second time?

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Ahead of their trilogy bout, former UFC welterweight title challenger and UFC analyst Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy invites us into “The War Room” as he takes a deep dive into the matchup and offers his technical pointers ahead of the fight. Check out his pre-fight assessment via the video above.

UFC 252 takes place Saturday, Aug. 15 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Hablemos MMA #3: Entrevista con Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, resumen de UFC on ESPN+ 32 y Bellator 243, mas

Escucha el tercer episodio de Hablemos MMA con Danny Segura.

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(Editor’s note: Hablemos MMA is MMA Junkie’s weekly Spanish-language podcast hosted by reporter Danny Segura. New episodes are released every Monday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more of your favorite podcasting platforms. You can also stream or download the latest episode above.)

En el tercer episodio de Hablemos MMA, Danny Segura entrevista a [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] acerca de su pelea coestelar contra [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] en UFC 252, su posición en la división, y mucho mas.

También analizamos los resultados de UFC en ESPN+ 32: [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag], Bellator 243: [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], y repasamos las ultimas noticias de las artes marciales mixtas incluyendo el futuro de [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], lesiones de [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] y [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag], fichajes de [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag], [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jennifer Maia[/autotag], y mucho mas.

UFC 252: How to watch Cormier vs. Miocic 3 on ESPN+

All you need to know about UFC 252.

A pair of UFC heavyweight legends will complete their trilogy on Saturday night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. After taking Daniel Cormier’s heavyweight title one year ago at UFC 241, Stipe Miocic will defend his championship belt against Cormier in the main event of UFC 252.

The fight will be Cormier’s last, regardless of the result, and he’ll retire from the sport as one of the best fighters in the organization’s history. Cormier announced earlier this year that he plans to “ride off into the sunset” after UFC 252.

The UFC 252: Cormier vs. Miocic 3 main card will begin at 10:00 on Saturday, August 15th on ESPN+ pay-per-view. You can sign up for an ESPN+ subscription here. You can buy UFC 252 and one year of ESPN+ for 84.98. UFC 252 has a standalone cost of $64.99 for subscribers.

UFC 252 prelims will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET, with early prelims at 6:00 p.m. ET, both broadcast on ESPN.

Here’s the main card for Saturday’s event.

Heavyweight championship: Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Daniel Cormier

Bantamweight: Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera

Heavyweight: Junior dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Bantamweight: John Dodson vs. Merab Dvalishvili

Light Heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba

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UFC 252 video: John Gooden, Dan Hardy break down Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier 3

UFC 252 features the culmination of an epic trilogy that may crown the best UFC heavyweight of all-time.

In the main event, UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) faces former dual-division titleholder [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in a key rubber match that “DC” says is the last of hie storied career.

Ahead of the fight, UFC broadcasters Dan Hardy and John Gooden break down the X’s and O’s of the matchup in the latest edition of their pre-event analysis show, “Inside the Octagon.”

Check out their full UFC 252 main event breakdown in the video above, as Hardy and Gooden assess each fighter’s best route to victory.

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UFC 252 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

MAIN CARD Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Champ Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier – for heavyweight title
Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera
Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
John Dodson vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

Jim Miller vs. Vinc Pichel
Livinha Souza vs. Ashley Yoder
Herbert Burns vs. Daniel Pineda
Felice Herrig vs. Virna Jandiroba

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)

TJ Brown vs. Danny Chavez
Chris Daukaus vs. Parker Porter

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UFC 252 free fight: Stipe Miocic takes out Daniel Cormier, reclaims heavyweight title

Ahead of their rubber match on Aug. 15, relive Stipe Miocic’s win over Daniel Cormier at UFC 241.

[autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] was eager to get his belt back.

After losing the UFC heavyweight title to [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] at UFC 226, Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) held out until he got his wish and rematched Cormier in the UFC 241 main event in August 2019.

Cormier got the best of Miocic in the first fight by knocking him out in Round 1, but the second fight played out a lot differently. The pair exchanged leg kicks early, but Cormier was then able to land a big slam takedown, controlling Miocic for the rest of the round.

In Round 2, Miocic started to piece his combinations together well, but Cormier was firing back with shots of his own. Both men threw big shots in a round that played out entirely on the feet.

In Round 3, Miocic and Cormier continued to exchange in phone booth-style striking, with Miocic mixing things up by landing a brief takedown. Cormier continued to pressure, with Miocic sniping back on the counter.

Miocic made major adjustments by going to Cormier’s body in Round 4, which ultimately paid dividends. With Cormier starting to breathe heavy, Miocic repeatedly ripped into his body, then went up top for the final touches, dropping Cormier with a flurry against the fence.

Miocic reclaimed his title and will face off against Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in a rubber match in the UFC 252 headliner on Aug. 15, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Before he faces Cormier, relive Miocic’s championship winning performance in the video above.

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How to watch UFC 252: Fight card, start time, online results, where to stream Miocic vs. Cormier 3

The UFC is back in Las Vegas for UFC 252, and here’s how to watch the Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier trilogy heavyweight title rematch

The UFC is back in Las Vegas this week for UFC 252 event. Here’s how to watch.

UFC 252 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

The early prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+, followed by additional prelims at 8 p.m. ET. The five-fight main card airs on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.

For all the ways to watch the event, check out this UFC.com list.

In the main event, heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) takes on former champ Daniel Cormier (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) in a trilogy rematch. Cormier beat Miocic to take the title in their first meeting, but Miocic stopped him in their rematch to take it back.

In the co-feature, unbeaten bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) meets Marlon Vera (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC). Plus, former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) takes on Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).

The full UFC 252 fight card is available below. You can also join us for live on-site round-by-round UFC 252 coverage on the MMA Junkie homepage Saturday.

UFC 252 main card (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Champ Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier – for heavyweight title
Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera
Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
John Dodson vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba

UFC 252 preliminary card (ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

Jim Miller vs. Vinc Pichel
Livinha Souza vs. Ashley Yoder
Herbert Burns vs. Daniel Pineda
Felice Herrig vs. Virna Jandiroba

UFC 252 preliminary card (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

TJ Brown vs. Danny Chavez
Chris Daukaus vs. Parker Porter

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