A couple weeks back when DC vs Miocic got officially booked we were pumped. The first big card on fight island was a masterpiece and had the MMA community buzzing with three title fights and an overall fantastic main card. For the most part the card held up and delivered a great show. Some fights were slower than expected and the Holloway decision was deemed controversial by many, but the card was entertaining. When I finally saw the whole card for 252 outside of the title fight I did not get anywhere near the same feeling. We’ll get into the whole card with some picks from Zach and I but my initial takeaway from seeing the card is Dana White expecting to sell big on the title fight and an appearance from the Suga Show Sean O’ Malley. The rest of the fights aren’t huge names, we get to see Rozenstruik get another shot against a proven vet in Junior Dos Santos, overall the main card is lacking but does showcase some knockout power. Still I think this heavyweight trilogy will sell for Uncle Dana as Daniel Cormier is one of the most beloved fighters in UFC history and a significant amount of fans will be tuning in to hopefully see their guy recapture the belt.

(Photo via: Rollingstone.com)
Heavyweight Title Fight: Daniel Cormier (-115) vs Stipe Miocic (-115)
Tomorrow evening I expect an insane portion of the money bet on this fight to be on DC. Cormier is one of the biggest fan favorites as he is already in the broadcast booths for most fights and is always authentic when doing so. Zach and I both love DC here as he one the first bout and was dominating early in the second before being caught by stipe and eventually finished in an extremely dramatic fashion. That second fight ended with Cormier having 181/263 significant strikes land compared to Miocic’s 123/229. If Cormier fights smart this time around he should be able to out point Stipe and have his hand raised. He seemed to have an untouchable demeanor in their last bout and I expect to see a fully focused Cormier in the trilogy coming out firing but being well aware of who holds the power advantage between these two. Miocic is a champ in this elite fighting for a reason, he has some heavy hands and is a very skilled big man. Overall Zach and I both took DC in an electric ending to this heavyweight rivalry.
Ryan Fight Winner: Daniel Cormier (-115) || Ryan Pick: Daniel Cormier via TKO (+190)
Zach Fight Winner: Daniel Cormier (-115) || Zach Pick: Daniel Cormier via TKO (+190)
Co Main Event: Sean O’ Malley (-275) vs Marlon Vera (+215)
The Suga Show is back! Sean O’ Malley lit the world on fire the past year with his electric striking ability and eccentric out of ring style. O’ Malley fought Eddie Wineland and let's just say Sugar Sean looked absolutely dominant with a disgusting KO that was incredibly impressive. His ground game is nowhere near ready for some of the top dogs in this division, but with how good his striking and take down defense is I'm almost convinced that's not a liability at this point.
Sean is a cool 12-0 In his professional career and comes into this fight as a heavy favorite against fellow up and comer Marlon Vera. Vera has won 5 out of his last 6 fights in the octagon and has a very well rounded game at age 27. Vera has some dangerous striking via the kick and could produce some problems for O’Malley early if he can land some shots to the body or get the fight to the ground. Zach and I both think O’Malley and the advanced striking ability will be too much and earn the Suga Show his 5th win inside the UFC. It just seems like another stepping stone type fight for O’Malley to solidify his spot in this fight promotion and earn a high level opponent for a main event fight. The overall pick if you're going how this fight will be decided is a toss up, Vera tends to start slow so decision is never a bad one but O’Malley has great KO power, this is one of the only different decisions Zach and I came across for this card.
Ryan Fight Winner: O’Malley (-275) || Ryan Pick: O’Malley via TKO (+100)
Zach Fight Winner: O’Malley (-275) || Zach Pick: O’Malley via Decision (+150)
Junior Dos Santos vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
This fight is going to be a true test for Rozenstruik as he is facing off against a proven veteran and former UFC Heavyweight champ Junior Dos Santos. Rozenstruik had his first test at the elite in the heavyweight division against Francis Ngannou a couple months ago and nearly got decapitated in the process as Ngannou put him to sleep within the first 20 seconds of the fight. The younger fighter at age 32 still enters this contest as the slight favorite over a former champ, showing that he isn’t taken lightly in the MMA community. Dos Santos has lost via TKO in both of his last two fights and at age 36 it's tough taking him over an upcoming guy like his opponent in this fight. Both guys possess great power, Dos Santos is up there for most TKO’s in UFC history so regardless I think we’ll get a brawl in this one. We both see a determined younger guy in Rozenstruik coming in and proving he's a contender in the heavyweight division and moving up the ladder with a win over Dos Santos. Although both have a lot of power I feel like this one might go the distance as Rozenstruik might have worked on some defense after his last loss and Zach has a TKO for Jairzinho which most oddsmakers agree with.
Ryan Fight Winner: Rozenstruik (-125) || Ryan Pick: Rozenstruik via Decision (+800)
Zach Fight Winner: Rozenstruik (-125) || Zach Fight Winner: Rozenstruik via TKO (-110)
Extra Picks:
Dodson vs. Dvalishvili
Ryan Pick: Dvalishvili via Decision (-150) || Zach Pick: Dodson via Decision (+350)
Burns vs. Pineda
Ryan Pick: Burns via Decision (+650) || Zach Pick: Pineda via Submission (+1400)
* All odds are from Mybookie.AG
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