Mon 10/08/2020 - 04:40 EDT

How To Bet on UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier III

How To Bet on UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier III

The trilogy between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier headlines UFC 252 in Las Vegas. We have an in-depth betting preview of that title match, along with other main card bouts. You’ll want to read this before making a single wager on the event!

We're just days away from UFC 252, which takes place on August 15. Here are the UFC betting odds currently available at Bovada for the main card fights:

Fighter #1 bovada bovada      Fighter #2   

Stipe Miocic

-110 -120 Daniel Cormier

Sean O'Malley

-315 +245 Marlon Vera

Junior dos Santo

+130 -160

Jairzinho Rozenstruik

John Dodson

+160 -200 Merab Dvalishvili

We'll give out our free UFC betting picks momentarily, but it's worth mentioning you're eligible for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in free play right now. Yes, you! All you have to do is join a sportsbook and you can reap the benefits of its sign-up bonus

Take BetOnline for example. The online bookmaker currently has a "sports is back" bonus that's worth as much as $1000 when maxed out. That's one of many great offers currently available for UFC 252 gambling

Greatest Heavyweight Of All Time?

Video thumbnail

When Miocic and Cormier meet in the middle of the octagon for the third time, it won't just be the UFC heavyweight championship that's up for grabs. No, these two will effectively be fighting for the right to be called the best ever in this storied weight class.

Here are both their resumes: the reigning champion, Miocic, is 19-3 all-time. It's his second title run, but during his first, he successfully defended the gold three times — a UFC heavyweight record. Miocic has 15 knockout victories to his name.

In the other corner, Cormier has won three heavyweight titles in three separates promotions — the UFC (also won the light heavyweight championship), Strikeforce, and King of the Cage. He's accumulated a 22-2-1 mark whilst fighting. At 41 years old, this could very well be Cormier's last go.

Our money is that the rubber match ends like the first two bouts, by knockout. If there's a prop bet to make here, its the method of victory is KO. As a refresher, Cormier landed a devasting elbow knockout in the opening round to win the first bout. Miocic answered back with a fourth-round TKO in the rematch almost a year ago.

Both fighters are a year older now and neither has fought since that rematch. Eye surgery kept Miocic on the sidelines, while Cormier toyed with retirement. Throw in the COVID effect and there's a lot of ring rust between both. That leads us to believe a knockout finish is imminent so don't let that prop wager slip

As for who will be dishing that knockout, we're picking Cormier. Look, he was completely dominating the rematch until Miocic started landing body blows mid-fight. Cormier had no answer and caved. But you better believe a student of the game like Cormier is, he's patched up that weakness. 

It'll be a rock-em-sock-em-robots fight, but Cormier drops Miocic in the end. With that victory, Cormier has a strong case as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in UFC history

Betting pick to make: Daniel Cormier (-120)

O'Malley Is The Staggering Favorite In Semi-Main Event

Bantamweight "Suga" Sean O'Malley has all the makings of UFC's next big superstar. Only 25 years young, O'Malley has an unblemished 12-0 mark, including two first-round knockouts in the past five months. The only thing brighter than his hair is his future in the sport.

At -315 betting odds, this feels like another stop on the O'Malley's hype train. Though, to Vera's credit, he likely won't fall victim to an opening-round KO. He's 15-6 on his career, with all those defeats coming via decision.

Regardless, we like O'Malley to prevail. A fight like this is perfect to put into a parlay, too. With such lopsided odds, there's little value in betting Vera straight-up. However, in a parlay, you'll get a low-risk play to up the possible payout.   

Betting pick to make: Sean O'Malley (-315)

Video thumbnail

Toss up Between Dos Santos and Rozenstruik 

Oddsmakers across the board have this fight as razor close. Despite being fresh off the first loss of his career — a 20-second pounding at the hands of Francis Ngannou — Rozenstruik is the ever slight favorite

We'd have to agree with the bookies. As bad as Rozenstruik looked just three short months ago, dos Santos hasn't fared any better as of late. He's lost back-to-back bouts by knockout, which also includes a first-round loss to Ngannou coincidentally. 

Casual bettors might be more familiar with the dos Santos name. He's been a fixture in the heavyweight division for over a decade with headline fights against the likes of Miocic, Cain Velazquez, Frank Mir, and others. That mainstream appeal is why his betting line (-130) is so low. Don't fall trap to this, he's not the same fighter of old. 

Betting pick to make: Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-160)

The Machine Vs. The Magician

Two great nicknames are pitted against each other in this main card bout. Who wins out between magic (Dodson) and machine (Dvalishvili)?

We're siding with the machine. Dvalishvili is almost seven years younger than Dodson and has won four consecutive fights. Whereas Dodson has been more hot and cold, going 4-5 in his last outings. 

Aside from Cormier, we believe the betting favorites will dominate the UFC 252 card from top to bottom. Dvalishvili will begin this trend early on with a convincing victory over Dodson. 

Betting pick to make: Merab Dvalishvili (-200)

Those are our UFC 252 predictions. If you're ready to make your own, any of the sportsbooks below can help you out. They offer betting lines for the aforementioned fights, along with the prelims.

And remember that welcome bonus we mentioned at the beginning? Welp, if you sign up at one of these bookies and fund your account, you'll earn a cushy bonus of your own! 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Category : News

More articles...
News - 12/06/25
Florida is Now the Overwhelming Favorite to Win the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals 

What: 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Who: Edmonton Oilers vs. Florida Panthers When: Game 4 is Thursday, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET Where: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida How to watch: TNT and Max It's funny how things can change in the span of a week or so. Before the final series of […]

News - 04/06/25
Belmont Stakes 2025: Baeza is in line for classic glory 

The third and final leg of the Triple Crown happens Saturday, June 7: the Belmont Stakes. Like last year, it will be a little different than the traditional Belmont: it will be run at 1 ΒΌ miles at Saratoga Race Course, since Belmont Park is still under construction. The race offers a $2 million purse, […]

News - 02/06/25
Oklahoma City is a Big Favorite to Win the 2025 NBA Finals Over Indiana 

What: 2025 NBA Finals Who: Oklahoma City vs. Indiana Pacers When: Game 1 is set for June 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma How to watch: ABC After a thrilling postseason leading up to this stage, only two teams are left in the hunt to take home the Larry […]

News - 02/06/25
Best UFC 316 Bets: Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O'Malley Picks 

What: UFC 316 Who: Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O'Malley in the main event When: Saturday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET Where: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey How to watch: ESPN+ There's a title on the line at UFC 316 and there's a main event that people can't wait for. That's right, it's that […]