MMA would be taking a step back if Ngannou becomes champ

Ngannou is too raw? IMO it's actually a good thing since it means he has a ton of room to get even better.

He's 32 years old not 18.

how much better do you think he's going to get?

Do you think we're going to be seeing Ngannou knocking people out with headkicks or flying knees?

What's he gonna add to his game at this point?
 
TS wants to see Ngannou take a step towards the back of the bus.
 
MMA never had credibility. It's always been a glorified tough man contest with varying degrees of skill. People who think it's more than that don't UFC enough. "Look bad on the sport"...is this a troll thread?

I for one look forward to seeing who the toughest man between these two is.
 
He's 32 years old not 18.

how much better do you think he's going to get?

Do you think we're going to be seeing Ngannou knocking people out with headkicks or flying knees?

What's he gonna add to his game at this point?

Mileage is more important than age, especially at heavyweight. Couture hadn't even made his MMA debut at 32.
 
Mileage is more important than age, especially at heavyweight. Couture hadn't even made his MMA debut at 32.

Couture was a wrestler at the highest level though. He was already a combat athlete.

And that's what he used in the octagon, his wrestling. Couture wasn't knocking people out with head kicks either.
 
I agree. It's annoying when a guy wins just because he can punch real hard. A fighter can be one dimensional, technically deficient in every area, and inferior to his opponent in all ways except that he has a shit ton of power. I find it hard to root for that type of fighter, and it's unfortunate when they beat guys who are way more skilled than them.

That being said, I don't know if Ngannou is that one-dimensional. But if he just flat out KO's Stipe with one power punch then it will be very unsatisfying.
 
I get your point, buy it's HW. Muito expectations in terms of technique até very low.

This is the only reply that matters.

HW MMA is embarrassing to the sport for many other reasons than Francis. At least this fuck is actually in fighting shape which you can't say about a good 40% of the division.
 
This is the only reply that matters.

HW MMA is embarrassing to the sport for many other reasons than Francis. At least this fuck is actually in fighting shape which you can't say about a good 40% of the division.
but my question is, if the heavyweight division IS so embarrassing, why do guys like jones, Rumble and every other LHW and MW avoid it like the plague? Why do they starve and dehydrate themselves to duck the heavyweights?
 
HW has always been less skilled division. Would not surprise me to see Stipe get KO'd, also wouldn't surprise me to see Stipe TKO Ngannou.
 
Heavyweight and LHW were the two deepest and most talented divisions in the 2000s. Both divisions have gone seriously downhill the last several years.

Stipe got dropped in his last fight by Reem and is very vulnerable. Francis has only been training a few years. No need to get emotionally invested in this fight. It could go either way. Coin flip fight between two heavy hitters that aren't exactly known for their defense.
 
but my question is, if the heavyweight division IS so embarrassing, why do guys like jones, Rumble and every other LHW and MW avoid it like the plague? Why do they starve and dehydrate themselves to duck the heavyweights?

That's more of a weight cutting question but I'll point out that MW is 20 pounds from LHW and LHW is fucking 95 pounds from the HW limit. And some guys still cut to HW.

If there was a cruiserweight division in the UFC (225) many LHWs would go there or be forced there eventually. I have no doubts that Jon Jones is far more skilled than Brock Lesnar but Brock could legitimately beat him on the basis that he has a hundred pounds of human on him.
 
A fighter's skill set is often much more than what meets the eye.

George Foreman used to wing his punches like crazy but that was him using his power and physical strength to the max.

Watch Jack Dempsey maul Jesse Willard, and tell me how "technical" those haymakers were.

Rocky Marciano was a brawler who would lunge in with bombs and get off-balance all the time, but was able to make his "ugly" style of fighting work in his favor.

All these guys are also considered all-time greats.

It seems like there is a strong bias the MMA community when it comes to striking that ONLY textbook jabs, crisp leg kicks and a high guard = a high-level striking.

Besides, I don't really get why the "sport would look bad" if Stipe loses.

I don't think boxing looked any worse because Iran Barkley beat Tommy Hearns twice or kickboxing became a joke when Sapp beat Hoost twice.

It's a fight. Anything can happen, especially in the HW division.

Ngannou is definitely a raw prospect, while Stipe has proven himself time and time against top competition, so I'd favor Stipe slightly.

But only slightly, because Stipe is hittable, and I'm not sure if even Stipe can come back from getting hit flush by Ngannou.


I prefer text book crisp leg jabs, bro.
 
That's more of a weight cutting question but I'll point out that MW is 20 pounds from LHW and LHW is fucking 95 pounds from the HW limit. And some guys still cut to HW.

If there was a cruiserweight division in the UFC (225) many LHWs would go there or be forced there eventually. I have no doubts that Jon Jones is far more skilled than Brock Lesnar but Brock could legitimately beat him on the basis that he has a hundred pounds of human on him.
I know what the limits are of each weight but Woodley, the 170lb champ, walks around at 210-220. So, you start reaching the fringe, right there. 185 and 205 guys could easily fight at Heavyweight but I guess that is what lends so much credence to Fedor and BJ Penn as my GOATs. Just fight whomever they put in front of you.
 
Stipe is a killer, and a very good HW, but his fans are getting desperate and have started to overate him. TS is the perfect example of a fan that has not been honest about his resume, or his skill set. Stipe a boxer-wrestler, plain and simple. He's striking is totally one dimensional. His tdd and overall ground game has yet to be tested, and his resume is questionable. It's not like he's been running through a murderers row of fresh contenders, his best win to date is over Werdum.

Stipe is not redefining what it means to be a mixed martial artist. His championship reign has been the product of an unbelievably weak HW division, which is why he is not yet celebrated as champion.

The UFC's HW division is in a terrible state as a result of aging vets, injuries, and USADA. Barnett, Rothwell, Cain, and JDS are on the shelf. Hunt, and Overeem, are no longer viable as title challengers. Werdum is still legit, but he's not getting any younger. Leaving Ngannou, Volkov, and Blaydes as the only promising contenders available.

I fully expect Francis to crush Stipe in the first round on Saturday, but regardless of the outcome, I think this fight is great for the sport, and the HW division. We either get a fresh new champion, or we see Stipe's reign as HW champion legitimized.
 
Stipe is a killer, and a very good HW, but his fans are getting desperate and have started to overate him. TS is the perfect example of a fan that has not been honest about his resume, or his skill set. Stipe a boxer-wrestler, plain and simple. He's striking is totally one dimensional. His tdd and overall ground game has yet to be tested, and his resume is questionable. It's not like he's been running through a murderers row of fresh contenders, his best win to date is over Werdum.

Stipe is not redefining what it means to be a mixed martial artist. His championship reign has been the product of an unbelievably weak HW division, which is why he is not yet celebrated as champion.

The UFC's HW division is in a terrible state as a result of aging vets, injuries, and USADA. Barnett, Rothwell, Cain, and JDS are on the shelf. Hunt, and Overeem, are no longer viable as title challengers. Werdum is still legit, but he's not getting any younger. Leaving Ngannou, Volkov, and Blaydes as the only promising contenders available.

I fully expect Francis to crush Stipe in the first round on Saturday, but regardless of the outcome, I think this fight is great for the sport, and the HW division. We either get a fresh new champion, or we see Stipe's reign as HW champion legitimized.

10/10, solid post. Couldn't have worded it any better myself.
 
Had to "like" it because it almost made me spit out my drink laughing but... and a huge BUT... you are a moron!
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Thank you Stipe Miocic for saving the credibility of the sport.

You truly illustrated what it means to be a modern mixed martial artist.

It looked like two era's collided in the cage yesterday: One from the 90s and one from today even though Ngannou is the younger fighter. You prevailed and saved MMA's legitimacy.
 
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