What can Stipe do differently in the rubbermatch to defeat DC....nothing.

[Combat Wombatt]

So, Stipe moved to a lot more body shots which changed the outcome of his rematch with Cormier. The first fight was mostly a stand up affair with a little wrestling and Stipe got KO'd. The rematch ended up similar but with far more stand up and Stipe improved his game plan and used body shots which paid off in the end as he TKO'd DC. It appears that there will be a rubbermatch between the two.

Stipe: Mainly a stand up fighter who has wrestling but uses it to keep the fight standing, has shown some takedowns notably against Ngannou.

DC: Wrestler who has great takedowns and TD defense and has used his wrestling for takedowns and to keep the fight standing. Became more of a stand up fighter later in his career since he has decent striking.

I think in the rematch Stipe didn't show anything he didn't already have in his skillset. Stipe is a good striker and he always had bodyshots he just utilized them more in the rematch. Stipe won't be able to add anything to his arsenal in time that will matter. Stipe isn't going to improve his TD defense to stop DC's takedowns, he won't improve his ground game to become a ground wizard and threaten DC off of his back.

DC also won't add any tools to his arsenal in time either. He will just utilize what he did not last time which is far more wrestling. DC's 3rd fight with Stipe will be DC using his old tried and true striking, TD to GnP, let up, rinse and repeat until he either wins via UD or TKO.

People say that DC will tire taking Stipe down but Stipe will actually tire more being under DC's top control and GnP and defending the takedown. DC has a proven 5 round gas tank, Stipe not so much.

DC said that his plan for the rematch was to use far more wrestling but he didn't follow his gameplan or listen to his coaches and he paid for it. This time it won't happen again and DC will win the 3rd fight.

Thoughts?

 

[Deleted member 545701]

Stipe should shoot on Cormier like he did in round 3. He took him down pretty easily. Beyond round 1, Stipe was in control of all the wrestling

 

[Rorschachxx]

I'm still perplexed DC managed to fuck up in that fight. His ego is one of his biggest problems. No disrespect to Stipe who is an excellent fighter but DC really just had to follow the original gameplan. Dude is 40 with multiple championship fights and should have the experience to avoid silly amateurish decisions like that. Hell at least think about the Gus fight where it almost cost you. Instead you fall in love with your hands. By the time Stipe made the adjustments you blew all the gas trying to strike that you dont have a solid TD in you anymore. I could write an essay about this but lets stop here.

 

[BRASIL WAND]

That’s stupid, I love how people just believe that using Wrestling is just as easy as flipping an “on” switch.

DC didn’t use his wrestling in the rematch in every round because it’s very taxing on cardio, specially when your opponent puts up some decent resistance ala Stipe and not Black Beast just flopping to his back.

DC can NOT maintain that pace for 5 rounds.

I’m not putting down DC, just giving straight facts. I STILL think it’s a 50/50 fight because both men are equally skilled. DC hold an advantage in the grappling and Stipe in the versatility of his Striking.

 

[Combat Wombatt]

That’s stupid, I love how people just believe that using Wrestling is just as easy as flipping an “on” switch.

DC didn’t use his wrestling in the rematch in every round because it’s very taxing on cardio, specially when your opponent puts up some decent resistance ala Stipe and not Black Beast just flopping to his back.

DC can NOT maintain that pace for 5 rounds.

I’m not putting down DC, just giving straight facts. I STILL think it’s a 50/50 fight because both men are equally skilled. DC hold an advantage in the grappling and Stipe in the versatility of his Striking.

I don't think Stipe can maintain his gas tank defending the takedown and being on his back and GnP'd from DC, especially if DC hurts Stipe bad in the 1st or 2nd takedown...how about that?

 

[BRASIL WAND]

Stipe should shoot on Cormier like he did in round 3. He took him down pretty easily. Beyond round 1, Stipe was in control of all the wrestling

That’s also stupid because that’s how Stipe got KNOCKED OUT in their first fight.

DC baited him into a false sense of security by allowing him to get the best of their early pummels and a flash takedown.

the result was as planned: Stipe got overconfident in his mediocre wrestling creds and got KO’d from a pummel exchange.

 

[BRASIL WAND]

I don't think Stipe can maintain his gas tank defending the takedown and being on his back and GnP'd from DC, especially if DC hurts Stipe bad in the 1st or 2nd takedown...how about that?

Read my reply to @Tomas

If DC can trap Stipe into closing the gap for him, it opens up his takedown arsenal and KO counters.

Stipes has good footwork, movement, and angles for a HW but his defense from close range is non existent.

 

[egk]

Stipe can work to avoid the eye pokes.

 

[Hirashin]

First fight was fluke, second was one of the worst fight IQ displayed from both fighters. DC is old and gasses again.

 

[Substance Abuse]

I'm still perplexed DC managed to fuck up in that fight. His ego is one of his biggest problems. No disrespect to Stipe who is an excellent fighter but DC really just had to follow the original gameplan. Dude is 40 with multiple championship fights and should have the experience to avoid silly amateurish decisions like that. Hell at least think about the Gus fight where it almost cost you. Instead you fall in love with your hands. By the time Stipe made the adjustments you blew all the gas trying to strike that you dont have a solid TD in you anymore. I could write an essay about this but lets stop here.

Yup.

 

[Fluffernutter]

 

[pick999]

Why should there be a 3rd fight? Stipe won legit last fight.

 

[g*r*b]

What can Stipe do differently in the rubbermatch to defeat DC....nothing.

Pretty sure I saw the exact same sentence, except for "rematch" instead of "rubbermatch", a number of times before their last fight. Did anybody, even the most devout Stipe fans, foresee him landing 14 body shots is a couple of minutes out of the blue? Sure he's thrown the occasional body shot before but never so concentrated and dedicated to it; if anything, he was more of the head hunting type. Even if we think we know all that Stipe can do — and personally I think that's a mistake, as he's the sort that is always driven to learn and improve — we can't be sure of how he'll combine and employ it.

And don't be so insanely sure that DC whomps him with his wrestling either. Stipe might not be as accomplished a wrestler as Cormier, but you don't have to be as good to be defensively adequate. And I find it interesting that nobody has managed to take down Stipe TWICE. It's quite possible that when caught out once by an opponent and having the feel of his takedown, as it were, he knows how to be on his guard in future attempts.

 

[Combat Wombatt]

Why should there be a 3rd fight? Stipe won legit last fight.

Ugh, because they are 1-1 fighting each other?

It's called a tie-breaker.

 

[MeatWagon06]

I see Stipe scoring a KO this time. Possibly first round. I don’t think DC will be the same.

 

[BROWNPRIDE]

If DC mixes in his wrestling he will win easy!

 

[Final Say]

So, Stipe moved to a lot more body shots which changed the outcome of his rematch with Cormier. The first fight was mostly a stand up affair with a little wrestling and Stipe got KO'd. The rematch ended up similar but with far more stand up and Stipe improved his game plan and used body shots which paid off in the end as he TKO'd DC. It appears that there will be a rubbermatch between the two.

Stipe: Mainly a stand up fighter who has wrestling but uses it to keep the fight standing, has shown some takedowns notably against Ngannou.

DC: Wrestler who has great takedowns and TD defense and has used his wrestling for takedowns and to keep the fight standing. Became more of a stand up fighter later in his career since he has decent striking.

I think in the rematch Stipe didn't show anything he didn't already have in his skillset. Stipe is a good striker and he always had bodyshots he just utilized them more in the rematch. Stipe won't be able to add anything to his arsenal in time that will matter. Stipe isn't going to improve his TD defense to stop DC's takedowns, he won't improve his ground game to become a ground wizard and threaten DC off of his back.

DC also won't add any tools to his arsenal in time either. He will just utilize what he did not last time which is far more wrestling. DC's 3rd fight with Stipe will be DC using his old tried and true striking, TD to GnP, let up, rinse and repeat until he either wins via UD or TKO.

People say that DC will tire taking Stipe down but Stipe will actually tire more being under DC's top control and GnP and defending the takedown. DC has a proven 5 round gas tank, Stipe not so much.

DC said that his plan for the rematch was to use far more wrestling but he didn't follow his gameplan or listen to his coaches and he paid for it. This time it won't happen again and DC will win the 3rd fight.

Thoughts?

Cormier won’t be able to control stipe very long if at all and he’s not as good of a striker. With no pokes Cormier loses the striking battle over a five round fight pretty easily

Likely another (T)KO victory for stipe. Decision is possible.

 

[ctelooming]

Cormier is way overweight and has back problems at 40-41. No way he's winning a grueling wrestling match against Stipe at this stage in his career. His best bet is to knock Stipe out early in the fight, but without eye pokes that seems unlikely.

 

[thobra]

To be honest, I really can’t see any way DC can win this, unless he blinds Stipe again. But he kept stabbing the eyes in both fights, so it might happen again.

Some guys think DC can wrestle Stipe? That is just silly.
DC has a pretty low td rate, And he normally struggle with wrestlers. He has pretty bad tdd himself. He is pretty bad at pacing himself, so he looks to have some success early, but he really just burns all his energy, while the other guy conserves his own.

I hate this rubbermatch, And dont see why we need it.

 

[Final Say]

I'm still perplexed DC managed to fuck up in that fight. His ego is one of his biggest problems. No disrespect to Stipe who is an excellent fighter but DC really just had to follow the original gameplan. Dude is 40 with multiple championship fights and should have the experience to avoid silly amateurish decisions like that. Hell at least think about the Gus fight where it almost cost you. Instead you fall in love with your hands. By the time Stipe made the adjustments you blew all the gas trying to strike that you dont have a solid TD in you anymore. I could write an essay about this but lets stop here.

This is silly, Cormier couldn’t take stipe down again after round one. He actually has been taken down twice in two fights and was only able to take stipe down once, despite attempting more takedowns.

Taking stipe down and controlling him without gassing and losing eventually is simply not an option.


And that goes for anybody, not just DC. Stipe too big and too strong and too good of a wrestler to be controlled for significant portions of fights. Cormier had him down for a few minutes and accomplished nothing. It was also the longest stipe had ever been on his back in MMA by far.