But they are not better strikers than Stipe and wrestling did not come into play with FN vs. Blaydes and Velasquez. Stipe had to start each round standing and boxing with Ngannou and then mixed in the TD's and wrestling to wear down FN until he gassed, when he became slower, lower volume and far less dangerous. Stipe is a better technical boxer and a better wrestler than Ngannou. However, Ngannou is the hardest puncher in the UFC. He has one punch power that can end a fight viciously at anytime. However, after a couple of rounds Ngannou looked absolutely lost vs. Stipe in their first fight with SM winning by 50-44 on all three judges' score cards.
Ngannou is just too good
Good points (you and the quoted), but I'd like to add an important dimension: most HWs in the UFC have terrible-zero ground game, or, like Oleynik, are comedically 2-D grapplers. Of course none of that will fly against Ngannou. I really think Blades could beat NGannou if he mixed his wrestling in with some more defense and set-ups. I also think someone like Werdum (at least a couple years ago) would demolish Ngannou if he could clinch/grapple/get it to the ground. But what we're seeing is the opposite: bland, non-grapplers who aren't even great strikers trying to strike with Ngannou. Well of course they're going to lose. But I Stipe showed us that the solution really isn't that far off from "hurr durr rassle" . . . you just need to have some other tools.
Thing is, landing a haymaker is the ONLY way Francis beats Stipe, so it's not like DC who was able to set up the sneaky shot with his overall game and other threats. Stipe handled him pretty well, and Francis seems fully enamored with his own hype, and doesn't seem to have really rounded out his game or cleaned up his technique all that much, so I'd still lean in Stipe's direction.
