Stipe Miocic v Daniel Cormier Odds - UFC 252

UFC fans have been treated over the past few months.

Dana White moved the organisation over to 'Fight Island', during a time where sports across the globe were put on pause. Watching fighters take to the Octagon in Abu Dhabi certainly provided as much-needed entertainment for spectators, who also have a heavyweight clash to look forward to this weekend.

Headlining UFC 252 on August 15th will be the trilogy fight between Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. It's a fight that fans have been demanding for, for months on end, and they have now got their wish.

Ahead of the PPV main event, we've taken a look into the Stipe v Cormer odds, plus what this bout means for the division.

There can be no downplaying the legacy that awaits either victor this weekend - they will be recognised as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

Both men share a piece of special history in the division - Stipe has defended the belt on more occasions than any other past champion, whilst Cormier became the first fighter to defend two belts in two separate weight classes, when he retained the Championship against Derrick Lewis.

So, how do we conclude the superior fighter? Well, we make them fight. It's currently one a piece going into the trilogy, meaning we will get a definitive answer.

Cormier upset the odds with his first round KO of the Croatian back in 2018, before the latter got his revenge with a TKO stoppage last year. It will be 363 days since the two last met when they next step inside the Octagon, with both fighters holding out for this one and only fight.

Had Cormier defeated Stipe last August, he would have rode off into the sunset looking back on arguably the greatest UFC career of all time. Although this statement could still prove to happen, his retirement plans were prolonged.

The fighter has always reiterated his desire to hang up the gloves at the age of forty, and he has publicly stated that win, lose or draw, this will be his last dance in the Octagon. The now forty-one-year-old clearly feels that this is the last piece of unsettled beef he has in the organisation, and like the fans, he wants a definitive answer in settling the Cormier-Stipe debate.

From Miocic's perspective, there seemed to be growing doubts over whether he would even fight again. DC had been pushing for this trilogy earlier on in the year, but the Croatian had not recovered from a serious eye injury. Fans questioned whether the bout would ever materialise, resulting in a huge sigh of relief when Cormier sneakily posted an Instagram picture of his signature on a dotted line.

Given his past record, would Miocic have anything left to prove in the division should he reign victorious? A rematch against Francis Ngannou or a bout with Jon Jones would generate large volumes of interest, but no fan could question his decision, should this also be the 37-year-old's last ever fight.

How do you split two fighters with a 1-1 record? From the bookmaker's perspective, they virtually can't.

SkyBet initially had both men at an outright price of 5/6, before Stipe ever so slightly drifted out to 10/11. From a £10 bet, the difference in returns is just 76 pence.

Despite the bigger outright odds, the TKO/KO market favours Miocic, as he overcame adversity in the latest rematch and his body shots were too much for DC to handle. Cormier won the opening fight by KO, but the Croatian had recently endured some heavy blows in his five round matchup with Ngannou just six months prior. Was it just a case of his chin not being the same that night?

In terms of stand-up, Stipe's boxing is regarded as one of the greatest all-time in heavyweight history. Despite his large stance, the 37-year-old enjoys throwing combinations as opposed to one punch power shots, working the angles and moving the shoulders as freely as a Welterweight.

Six of his last seven victories have come via TKO/KO and we expect his price of 13/8 to do so again, to be a popular pick on the night.

Cormier's odds of 2/1 in this market aren't too much greater, despite just two of his last eight wins coming via of such. It must be said though that DC does hold power at heavyweight and he did enjoy much of the exchanges in the opening three rounds of the rematch. Had he remained more disciplined, it could have been a different story.

Fancy the fight to go the distance? Cormier is the slight favourite to get the win over five rounds, with SkyBet pricing him up at 4/1 to win via decision.

The American hasn't done so since 2016 when he defeated Anderson Silva, but this was a three-round bout. It would be fair to categorise Cormier as an aggressive fighter, as we have seen throughout his career. Even during his UFC heavyweight debut against the most accomplished champion in the division's history, he met in the centre and exchanged blows.

Submissions also favour the 41-year-old, but the fight is likely to remain on the feet. Cormier will work the inside and try to grapple in the clinch, but pinning Stipe down is an unlikely route. The latter's wrestling credentials are perhaps criminally overlooked (NCAA Division I ), but this predominantly stems from the Croatian's excellent standup game, which has seen him achieve so much success in the UFC.

At 12/1 for Cormier and 16/1 for Stipe, the bookmakers aren't expecting to see this trilogy be settled via submission.

It makes this match-up all the more exciting and we can't wait to see who prevails.