MMA would be taking a step back if Ngannou becomes champ

[Readybodisready]

This is not a bashing thread. The point is that at this level, guys who are only good at one thing and rely purely on physical attributes are supposed to be a thing of the past. The last fighter who succeeded that way in the UFC was Brock Lesnar and that was a long time ago. It would look bad on the sport if Stipe loses.

Ngannou: the only real threat he presents are his hands. Supposedly he had some kind of boxing background but he shows very little of it and no jab, the most important punch of all. He's too raw, just look at his footwork. Doesn't really have any other weapons on the feet, doesn't have a ground game(aside from a keylock against a lower level guy) and his TDD is still a question mark. And with all that muscle there's no way he's not gassed out by round 3.

Even if he lands another windmill and wins the title(highly unlikely. Stipe's no shot ArReemski) he's not destined for longevity. He will be figured out quick because he doesn't have enough other skills to fall back on in this constantly evolving game.

Stipe will win by simply being what a modern MMA fighter is all about. Hate to be a buzzkill sherbros.

 

[TCanaveira]

Completely agree


WAR STIPE

 

[abiG]

Love Stipe, mad respect, but if Francis stays patient, doesn't rush in, and just stays smart, I don't see how he loses.

 

[BrazilianDude]

I get your point, buy it's HW. My expectations in terms of technique are very low.

 

[joeyjoejoe]

Ahh Stipe will be fine.....as long as he doesn’t get hit with too many bombs lol. I totally expect Stipe to get put on his ass in the first round and come back to win in devastating fashion. It should be a good fight.

 

[quantiqus]

Love Stipe, mad respect, but if Francis stays patient, doesn't rush in, and just stays smart, I don't see how he loses.

By decision, from all those jabs from Stipe. If, also, Stipe stays patient, doesn't rush in and just stays smart. Something he didn't in his last few fights (aware of the fact that he won them all by KO)

This is not a bashing thread. The point is that at this level, guys who are only good at one thing and rely purely on physical attributes are supposed to be a thing of the past. The last fighter who succeeded that way in the UFC was Brock Lesnar and that was a long time ago. It would look bad on the sport if Stipe loses.

Ngannou: the only real threat he presents are his hands. Supposedly he had some kind of boxing background but he shows very little of it and no jab, the most important punch of all. He's too raw, just look at his footwork. Doesn't really have any other weapons on the feet, doesn't have a ground game(aside from a keylock against a lower level guy) and his TDD is still a question mark. And with all that muscle there's no way he's not gassed out by round 3.

Even if he lands another windmill and wins the title(highly unlikely. Stipe's no shot ArReemski) he's not destined for longevity. He will be figured out quick because he doesn't have enough other skills to fall back on in this constantly evolving game.

Stipe will win by simply being what a modern MMA fighter is all about. Hate to be a buzzkill sherbros.

Yes, I agree!

MMA is an alternative to boxing because it has punches, kicks, elbows, kness, clinches, takedowns, ground game. Some people find it more entertaining.

 

[g*r*b]

Look, I'm as big a Stipe booster as the next guy (as long as the next guy isn't Final Say, nobody can compete with that). But this argument is as silly as claiming Stipe is one-dimensional just because he's been KOing fools left and right and hasn't, say, pulled off a gogoplata. Ngannou has other threats than just his fists (he's had four submissions and all by different methods) and though somewhat raw improves at a fearsome rate.

I don't want to go back to the days of simply slobbering over physique either, but Francis is more than a mixed bag of muscles.

 

[MPD-Psycho]

I dunno Ngannou kinda rubs me the wrong way but I wouldn't mind him as champ. He has the X-factor and is more polarizing. Also if he wins we get a little bit more fresh matchups.

 

[RockyLockridge]

There is nothing wrong with fighters who are VERY good at just one thing. There are lots of successful fighters in the sport that have the same accumen. Conor, Anderson Silva, Damien maia are all mostly just great at one thing and they have seen success at the highest levels. All fights start standing, and if Ngannou can keep you standing, that's his wheel house. You can say he's an "incomplete" fighter much like the ones I posted above but it has nothing to do with the progression of the sport imo.

Anyways Stipe hits hard too. but lets be honest. Overreem tagged him and COULD have finished him if he didn't go for a stupid choke. Even against JDS, Stipe looked a bit sloppy too. He's not unbeatable by anymeans and I like Stipe a lot, this fight has me torn.

 

[JOLLYjoe]

Winning the majority of your fights by utilizing your greatest strength sets mma back?

 

[ftpngo]

this is not a bashing thread

proceeds to bash fighter is normal

 

[Readybodisready]

But this argument is as silly as claiming Stipe is one-dimensional just because he's been KOing fools left and right and hasn't, say, pulled off a gogoplata.

The only silly one here is you by going to extremes. Stipe has shown high level wrestling and effective clinch fighting on top of his boxing skills. He is a modern, well rounded fighter. There is no argument that can be made to claim Stipe of one-dimensional. Whereas realizing Ngannou is one-dimensional is as natural as a bear taking a crap in the woods.

Ngannou has other threats than just his fists (he's had four submissions and all by different methods) and though somewhat raw improves at a fearsome rate.

Ngannou on the other hand has shown no such skills at the highest level. It's different submitting journeymen compared to top HW's. All he has really shown are muscles, powerful punches with no jabs to set them up and decent clinch defense. That's fine against fading damaged goods like Reem and Arlovski.

But if that's supposed to be the future of MMA, the sport has somehow gone back in time. It would look really bad.

 

[g*r*b]

By decision, from all those jabs from Stipe. If, also, Stipe stays patient, doesn't rush in and just stays smart. Something he didn't in his last few fights (aware of the fact that he won them all by KO)

The last two fights were against opponents known to be susceptible to a pressure game. Rushing in WAS the smart thing to do, so that's what his game plan prescribed. And the fight before those, he KO'd Werdum while rushing away!

 

[Chagaev]

Stipe working a regular job already makes the division look bush league.

If he had the same dedication to the sport GSP had, a guy like Ngannou wouldn't be such a threat.

 

[Soul On Ice]

The less well rounded fighter who relies on one thing has 7 KOs and 4 SUBs

 

[Russie]

I understand the point trying to be made but they can sell Nagannou with all of that one dimension. The UFC want Nagannou to win.

 

[Readybodisready]

There is nothing wrong with fighters who are VERY good at just one thing. There are lots of successful fighters in the sport that have the same accumen. Conor, Anderson Silva, Damien maia are all mostly just great at one thing and they have seen success at the highest levels.

That's very disrespectful to the fighters you mentioned, you can't even be taken seriously by mentioning Silva and McGregor. And Maia has been training MMA for a very long time which enables him to be competent enough on the feet to strike with world class opponents untill he can impose his grappling. He is a complete fighter at this point.

Ngannou has training for a couple of years and has windmills with 265lbs behind them, that's it. This is a thing of the past, MMA has evolved way beyond that.

 

[JustBleed69]

This is not a bashing thread. The point is that at this level, guys who are only good at one thing and rely purely on physical attributes are supposed to be a thing of the past. The last fighter who succeeded that way in the UFC was Brock Lesnar and that was a long time ago. It would look bad on the sport if Stipe loses.

Ngannou: the only real threat he presents are his hands. Supposedly he had some kind of boxing background but he shows very little of it and no jab, the most important punch of all. He's too raw, just look at his footwork. Doesn't really have any other weapons on the feet, doesn't have a ground game(aside from a keylock against a lower level guy) and his TDD is still a question mark. And with all that muscle there's no way he's not gassed out by round 3.

Even if he lands another windmill and wins the title(highly unlikely. Stipe's no shot ArReemski) he's not destined for longevity. He will be figured out quick because he doesn't have enough other skills to fall back on in this constantly evolving game.

Stipe will win by simply being what a modern MMA fighter is all about. Hate to be a buzzkill sherbros.

Love Stipe but he's going to sleep

 

[g*r*b]

The only silly one here is you by going to extremes. Stipe has shown high level wrestling and effective clinch fighting on top of his boxing skills. He is a modern, well rounded fighter. There is no argument that can be made to claim Stipe of one-dimensional. Whereas realizing Ngannou is one-dimensional is as natural as a bear taking a crap in the woods.



Ngannou on the other hand has shown no such skills at the highest level. It's different submitting journeymen compared to top HW's. All he has really shown are powerful punches with no jabs to set them up and decent clinch defense. That's fine against fading damaged goods like Reem and Arlovski.

People HAVE made the argument that Stipe is one-diminesional. I know, I've replied to their posts. And my argument to them has been a lot like the one I'm making now: you cannot safely assume that because a fighter hasn't shown off a skill recently in the Octagon that they can't do it, or are unable to learn it.

Stipe is indeed very well rounded. Stipe has had the broader background and is a more finished product than Ngannou. But Ngannou isn't so simplistic as you make him out to be.

 

[Rod Farva]

You can really only survive as a one dimensional fighter in the heavies.

Sylvia- no ground game
Randy- just a wrestler
Brock- just a wrestler

These are pretty one dimensional guys that won the title