It's still REAL TO ME DAMMIT
to me, the craziest one is nog
like, fedor had power and super fast hands. so i can see why people might think he could land something... i dont see the takedown so much, i think stipe's footwork, strength and D1 background would keep him out of trouble there. but i can kinda see how people would think he could catch stipe with a big punch and rock him enough to get a finish one way or another. i still think stipe would win, probably by TKO stemming from a punch standing.
cro cop, super dangerous striker with solid takedown defense... if you go back years into my account, i said JDS was the toughest match up for stipe in the division for the same reasons. solid striking technique, big power, amazing TDD. its not good for stipe, particularly at the time stipe first fought him. but with cro cop, i think the takedown is easier to come by (as opposed to junior) and i dont believe stipe would be quite as complacent as fedor was in cro cops guard. Cro cop has a solid guard and super solid guard retention, but stipe has proven to be a nightmare and immediate danger to anyone who finds themselves under him. i think the TKO comes from top position.
but nog? no takedowns.... decent striking but not imminently dangerous, much smaller... hed get pieced the fuck up. its almost like the werdum fight but less striking tools and smaller. terrible match up for nog. i assume nog wouldnt panic like werdum did and try to head hunt so maybe a longer fight, but a similar match up and a dominant decision if not a (T)KO at any point during an exchange.
i know this probably doesnt mean shit to you, but just giving you a window into how i see things.
final thought, one of stipe's best (and also most slept on) attributes is his footwork. hes able to stay out of range while cutting you off and coming toward you. he picks his shots well. thats how he dominated a terrified jds the second time around. its the same reason overeem was so uncomfortable standing and its the reason werdum panicked and rushed in looking for something, anything. stipe is a scary guy to be in there with, you can tell by his opponents' body language and actions.
