How to watch UFC 252: Heavyweight legend Daniel Cormier says this title match will be his last
- UFC 252 will stream live through ESPN+ on August 15.
- The prelims start at 7 p.m. ET, and the main card is set to begin at 10 p.m. ET.
- UFC legend Daniel Cormier will face heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic for the third time — Miocic claimed the championship when he knocked out Cormier at UFC 241 last year.
- Cormier said he plans to retire after UFC 252, regardless of whether or not he wins the heavyweight championship.
UFC heavyweight titans Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier will face off in their third championship match during the main event of UFC 252, streaming live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on August 15.
Cormier knocked out Miocic in the first round of their first meeting to claim the heavyweight title at UFC 226 in 2018, but Miocic returned the favor with a fourth round knockout to reclaim the title at UFC 241 in August 2019. The grizzly fight left Miocic's eye in need of surgery after the match, keeping him out of the octagon for a full year.
Cormier, now 41-years-old, has said the UFC 252 main event against Miocic will be the last fight of his career. The UFC legend enters UFC 252 with a career record of 22-2 in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, with his only losses coming to Miocic and Jon Jones. Cormier has spent lots of time in the commentary booth for several UFC events through the past year and will likely return to that role after UFC 252.
UFC fan favorite Sean O'Malley will fight Marlon Vera in a co-main event match. The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 239 but O'Malley was suspended for six months by the USADA in 2018 after two positive tests for a banned substance. After serving the suspension, O'Malley has scored knockouts and performance of the night honors in both of his fights. Vera lost his last fight against Song Yadong in a five round decision.
UFC 252 will begin with early prelims at 7 p.m. ET, while the main card is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET. The main event will be available on the ESPN+ streaming service, but will require an additional pay-per-view fee of $64.99 along with the cost of an ESPN+ subscription.
Fans will not be in attendance for UFC 252 or any of the other events due to the coronavirus pandemic. UFC has implemented at least 18 different safety precautions for staff, including advanced medical screenings, temperature checks, and social distancing guidelines.
Here's the match schedule for UFC 252: Miocic vs. Cormier
Early Prelims — 7 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. PT only on UFC Fight Pass
- Kai Kamaka versus Tony Kelley
- Chris Daukaus versus Parker Porter [Heavyweight]
Prelims — 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT on ESPN+ and ESPN
- Ashley Yoder versus Livinha Souza [Women's Strawweight]
- TJ Brown versus Danny Chavez [Featherweight]
- Felice Herrig versus Virna Jandiroba [Women's Strawweight]
- Jim Miller versus Vinc Pichel [Lightweight]
Main Card — 10 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. PT only on ESPN+ for $64.99
- Herbert Burns versus Daniel Pineda [Featherweight]
- John Dodson versus Merab Dvalishvili [Bantamweight]
- Junior Dos Santos versus Jairzinho Rozenstruik [Heavyweight]
- Sean O'Malley versus Marlon Vera [Bantamweight]
- Stipe Miocic versus Daniel Cormier [Heavyweight Title Match]
How to watch UFC 252
UFC 252 is separated into three portions: the early prelims, the prelims, and the main card.
The early prelims are only available to UFC Fight Pass subscribers, while the prelims will air on ESPN+ and the ESPN cable channel. The main card, meanwhile, is an ESPN+ exclusive pay-per-view event. This means that you have to subscribe to the ESPN+ sports-streaming service before you're able to purchase the PPV fight.
An ESPN+ membership costs $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year. The UFC 252 PPV event costs $64.99 for ESPN+ subscribers.
You can access the ESPN+ app on all major mobile and connected TV devices, including Amazon Fire, Apple, Android, Chromecast, PS4, Xbox One, Roku, Samsung Smart TVs, and more.
Ways to save on the UFC 252 pay-per-view price
If you plan on signing up for ESPN+ to watch UFC 252, you can take advantage of a special discounted package.
New subscribers can purchase a year-long ESPN+ membership with access to UFC 252 included for a total of $84.98. That's over 25% off the standard price. Following your first year of service, ESPN+ will then renew for the regular annual price of $49.99.