Am I the only single person on sherdog who thinks Ngannou will still be champ by the end of 2019?

[chillyoo]

He also needs to learn how to read feints correctly. If he doesn't it's going to end up like the first time. Stipe can feint well, goading him into throwing his punch inopportunely, and then come back with counter-counterpunches and level changes to takedowns.

Agree 100% that’s the difference in him being taken down repeatedly by Stipe but shrugging Blaydes away in the first fight with ease, Stipe set up game is elite. Francis actually has pretty good TDD from what I’ve seen in his other fights, not that he’s been tested too much

 

[chillyoo]

Stipe isn't some kind of MMA god tier wrestler. It's usually not even his strategy. He's not Georges St Pierre, or Khabib, or anything like that.

Blaydes is known for his wrestling. Thats how he bills himself, thats how he trains, and thats how he fights. Stipe might have wrestled D1 in college, but pure wrestling doesn't translate to MMA wrestling that way. Dan Henderson wrestled in the olympics and yet got taken down by Shogun 5 times in their first fight.

We can sit here and argue back and forth about who has the better MMA wrestling all day, but until Stipe and Blaydes are in a cage together theres no way to know for sure.

Anyways, the original point that I was trying to make, is that regardless of who has the better MMA wrestling between Stipe and Blaydes, we know for sure it isn't Ngannou. That is why in my ever so humble opinion, he will not be champion in 2019.

It all depends on who the champ is, DC is all set to retire soon. Sure Stipe will always be a troublesome matchup for him but other than that who’s going to wrestle Francis or shut him down? Beating Blaydes 2x already He’d be the favorite over almost any HW in the top 15, one win away from a shot, it’s very possible he could cash in.

Cain would smoke him but who knows If he’s ever going to fight again

 

[The Crow]

Yes you are