UFC 252 predictions: Will it be Miocic or Cormier as best heavyweight in UFC history?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the UFC 252 main card with a heavyweight trilogy rematch between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.

Miocic
vs.
Cormier
O’Malley
vs.
Vera
Dos Santos
vs.
Rozenstruik
Burns
vs.
Pineda
Dodson
vs.
Dvalishvili
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 78-52
miocic2020
Miocic
(52%)
omalley2020
O’Malley
(72%)
rozenstruik2020
Rozenstruik
(54%)
burns2020
Burns
(84%)
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
(60%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 91-39
cormier2020
Cormier
vera2020
Vera
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 91-39
miocic2020
Miocic
omalley2020
O’Malley
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dodson2020
Dodson
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 89-41
miocic2020
Miocic
omalley2020
O’Malley
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 87-43
trophy copy 2019 Champion*
miocic2020
Miocic
omalley2020
O’Malley
rozenstruik2020
Rozenstruik
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 87-43
trophy copy 2014 Champion
cormier2020
Cormier
omalley2020
O’Malley
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dodson2020
Dodson
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 86-44
trophy copy 2017 Champion
cormier2020
Cormier
vera2020
Vera
rozenstruik2020
Rozenstruik
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 86-44
miocic2020
Miocic
omalley2020
O’Malley
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dodson2020
Dodson
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 84-46
cormier2020
Cormier
vera2020
Vera
rozenstruik2020
Rozenstruik
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 83-47
cormier2020
Cormier
omalley2020
O’Malley
rozenstruik2020
Rozenstruik
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 81-49
cormier2020
Cormier
vera2020
Vera
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 81-49
trophy copy 2018 Champion
miocic2020
Miocic
omalley2020
O’Malley
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 80-50
cormier2020
Cormier
omalley2020
O’Malley
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 80-50
cormier2020
Cormier
omalley2020
O’Malley
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
burns2020
Burns
dvalishvili2020
Dvalishvili
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 54-76
cormier2020
Cormier
vera2020
Vera
dossantos2020
Dos Santos
pineda2020
Pineda
dodson2020
Dodson

The UFC is back on pay-per-view this week with a heavyweight title trilogy rematch atop the bill.

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+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

[lawrence-related id=543758,543764]

In the main event, heavyweight champion [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (19-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) meets former heavyweight and light heavyweight champ [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) for the third time. Their series is tied at 1-1, and Cormier has said he will retire after this fight. The fight is a pick’em with the oddsmakers and our readers like Miocic. But nine of our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts are picking Cormier to go out on top.

In the co-main event, unbeaten bantamweight prospect [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) takes on veteran fighter [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC). O’Malley is a heavy favorite around 3-1, but he’s only got a 9-5 lead in the picks.

Also on the main card, former heavyweight champ [autotag]Junior Dos Santos[/autotag] (21-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC) returns against [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC). And though Rozenstruik is a slight favorite and is our readers’ pick, our staff members are taking Dos Santos heavily at a 10-4 clip.

[autotag]Herbert Burns[/autotag] (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a heavy favorite in his featherweight bout against [autotag]Daniel Pineda[/autotag] (26-13 MMA, 3-4 UFC), which was moved up from the prelims. Only one of our pickers is taking Pineda in an upset.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] (11-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is a sizable favorite at bantamweight against [autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] (21-11 MMA, 10-6 UFC), and he’s got a big 10-4 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Miocic (52 percent), O’Malley (72 percent), Rozenstruik (54 percent), Dvalishvili (60 percent) and Burns (84 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.