My thoughts on the fight as a Stipe fan

[Gambit MMA]

First off congrats to DC and his fans, I'm definitely disappointed and the fight went different than i wanted it to lol.

Funny how the fight ended up playing out. I thought for sure if Stipe kept the fight in the middle and boxed he would have success, and he did for a brief moment. But it was apparent when they were in the middle that DC's speed was too much for Stipe. He was landing shots and Stipe wasn't quick enough to counter, and on the other side Stipe's punches were coming much slower to DC and DC seemed to be able to roll away from most of the punches. I had a bad feeling once I saw dc eat some of the punches and when stipe was struggling to land, DC looked much more fluid and quicker on the feet.

And the other funny thing was that I think if Stipe had kept it a close range fight he would have possibly had more success and would have avoided the KO. He reversed DC and actually had him down for like a second, and his strength seemed to nullify any offense DC was trying when they were up against the cage. I think if he tried to get DC up against the cage and then break off and throw some combos with DC, against the cage, that would have been a gameplan for him to win the fight.

Again, in the middle of the cage striking it was apparent DC was much quicker and was able to find Stipes chin despite the reach difference, while Stipe couldnt seem to land a solid punch on DC. Quite different then all the pre fight analysis where it was either STIPE - stay on the outside and box and DC - make it a wrestling match. Granted he did get the KO from the clinch, he was having success jumping in and out of the pocket and was able to find Stipes chin easier than I expected.

This sport is so unpredictable lol. I hope we get Stipe vs Lewis or maybe do Stipe vs Blaydes/Volkov

 

[Sapp]

DC stated in a pre-fight interview that he and his team had identified a weakness in Stipe's exit from the clinch I believe.

 

[AimedWithV]

First off congrats to DC and his fans, I'm definitely disappointed and the fight went different than i wanted it to lol.

Funny how the fight ended up playing out. I thought for sure if Stipe kept the fight in the middle and boxed he would have success, and he did for a brief moment. But it was apparent when they were in the middle that DC's speed was too much for Stipe. He was landing shots and Stipe wasn't quick enough to counter, and on the other side Stipe's punches were coming much slower to DC and DC seemed to be able to roll away from most of the punches. I had a bad feeling once I saw dc eat some of the punches and when stipe was struggling to land, DC looked much more fluid and quicker on the feet.

And the other funny thing was that I think if Stipe had kept it a close range fight he would have possibly had more success and would have avoided the KO. He reversed DC and actually had him down for like a second, and his strength seemed to nullify any offense DC was trying when they were up against the cage. I think if he tried to get DC up against the cage and then break off and throw some combos with DC, against the cage, that would have been a gameplan for him to win the fight.

Again, in the middle of the cage striking it was apparent DC was much quicker and was able to find Stipes chin despite the reach difference, while Stipe couldnt seem to land a solid punch on DC. Quite different then all the pre fight analysis where it was either STIPE - stay on the outside and box and DC - make it a wrestling match. Granted he did get the KO from the clinch, he was having success jumping in and out of the pocket and was able to find Stipes chin easier than I expected.

This sport is so unpredictable lol. I hope we get Stipe vs Lewis or maybe do Stipe vs Blaydes/Volkov

This strategy - clinch related - is exactly what cost him the fight.

Cormier used the clinch to knock him out by exiting.

 

[Gambit MMA]

This strategy - clinch related - is exactly what cost him the fight.

Cormier used the clinch to knock him out by exiting.

only if he clinched with dc against the fence. wouldnt have done any other clinching in the middle. the height difference and strength + leverage would have been a better plan, and it wouldnt have suprised me if he made it out of round 1 that his coaches would have told him to make it a closer range fight against the fence. dc's speed was killing him in the middle.

 

[Arm Barbarian]

Good breakdown TS.

DC outspeeded him, and that was the main factor, outside of him having more power at HW than he did at LHW.

I am NOT happy to see a great man and champ such as Stipe lose, but I believe he will be back, and regain his belt.

 

[RiotWyatt]

Props for being honest.

Goes to show that being a smaller HW is advantageous.

Sherdog these days has been so obsessed with big men.

 

[PROlogic]

"Again, in the middle of the cage striking it was apparent DC was much quicker and was able to find Stipes chin despite the reach difference, while Stipe couldnt seem to land a solid punch on DC"


You must have been watching a completely different fight.

Stipe was noticable quicker from range and noticably sharper in the boxing exchanges

Stipe was winning the fight hands dowm until the eye poke

However I thought Stipe was going to be more prepared for the clinch, and be much more ready to land his own compact shots in the tight spaces.

Cover up. Wait for DC to throw. Catch it and then instantly respond over DC's shot as DC is open/hand down etc

Very disappointing

It seems like Stipe didn't do that much gameplanning at all for DC


Terrible night and it feels bad that DC beat Stipe.

Hopefully Stipe gets a chance to fight and beat Jones, so that Stipe can always say that he beat the man who beat DC.

OR Stipe should get a rematch vs DC. 100% Stipe can expose DC with the right gameplan and smarter fight IQ/clinch IQ

 

[Gambit MMA]

"Again, in the middle of the cage striking it was apparent DC was much quicker and was able to find Stipes chin despite the reach difference, while Stipe couldnt seem to land a solid punch on DC"


You must have been watching a completely different fight.

Stipe was noticable quicker from range and noticably sharper in the boxing exchanges

Stipe was winning the fight hands dowm until the eye poke

However I thought Stipe was going to be more prepared for the clinch, and be much more ready to land his own compact shots in the tight spaces.

Cover up. Wait for DC to throw. Catch it and then instantly respond over DC's shot as DC is open/hand down etc

Very disappointing

It seems like Stipe didn't do that much gameplanning at all for DC


Terrible night and it feels bad that DC beat Stipe.

Hopefully Stipe gets a chance to fight and beat Jones, so that Stipe can always say that he beat the man who beat DC.

OR Stipe should get a rematch vs DC. 100% Stipe can expose DC with the right gameplan and smarter fight IQ/clinch IQ

i disagree. his punches looked visably slower compared to dc, like when dc was popping the jab. he landed it and stipe looked bewildered and how quick it was, he had chance to counter. and when stipe was throwing leather dc was rolling away from most of the shots, stipe did land flush a few times for sure. but the punches weren't quick enough and not powerful enough to put him down. and you have to think, as the fight got on his punches would only get a little weaker and weaker. this 1st round was when he was able to crack dc the hardest and with the most speed/precision, and dc's chin held up.

 

[JayE]

"Again, in the middle of the cage striking it was apparent DC was much quicker and was able to find Stipes chin despite the reach difference, while Stipe couldnt seem to land a solid punch on DC"


You must have been watching a completely different fight.

Stipe was noticable quicker from range and noticably sharper in the boxing exchanges

Stipe was winning the fight hands dowm until the eye poke

However I thought Stipe was going to be more prepared for the clinch, and be much more ready to land his own compact shots in the tight spaces.

Cover up. Wait for DC to throw. Catch it and then instantly respond over DC's shot as DC is open/hand down etc

Very disappointing

It seems like Stipe didn't do that much gameplanning at all for DC


Terrible night and it feels bad that DC beat Stipe.

Hopefully Stipe gets a chance to fight and beat Jones, so that Stipe can always say that he beat the man who beat DC.

OR Stipe should get a rematch vs DC. 100% Stipe can expose DC with the right gameplan and smarter fight IQ/clinch IQ

lol, at no point in that fight did Miocic look anywhere close to as fast as Cormier.

 

[NekMinnit]

"Again, in the middle of the cage striking it was apparent DC was much quicker and was able to find Stipes chin despite the reach difference, while Stipe couldnt seem to land a solid punch on DC"


You must have been watching a completely different fight.

Stipe was noticable quicker from range and noticably sharper in the boxing exchanges

Stipe was winning the fight hands dowm until the eye poke

However I thought Stipe was going to be more prepared for the clinch, and be much more ready to land his own compact shots in the tight spaces.

Cover up. Wait for DC to throw. Catch it and then instantly respond over DC's shot as DC is open/hand down etc

Very disappointing

It seems like Stipe didn't do that much gameplanning at all for DC


Terrible night and it feels bad that DC beat Stipe.

Hopefully Stipe gets a chance to fight and beat Jones, so that Stipe can always say that he beat the man who beat DC.

OR Stipe should get a rematch vs DC. 100% Stipe can expose DC with the right gameplan and smarter fight IQ/clinch IQ

Jones is a roid head. Beating him does nothing for Stipe

 

[RiotWyatt]

lol, at no point in that fight did Miocic look anywhere close to as fast as Cormier.

He’s just confused because Stipe was throwing more combos. DC was visibly faster.

 

[JayE]

He’s just confused because Stipe was throwing more combos. DC was visibly faster.

He's just trying to rationalize not giving Cormier a chance before the fight. This is the same guy who periodically writes hagiographies for McGregor and gets banned every few months, after all.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

i don't get how he was so slow, and DC so much faster, yet he still hit Cormier about as much as Cormier hit him?

it's interesting how the genral consensus seems to be that Cormier was beating his ass pretty much.

cuz i thought it was a pretty even fight, DC was a little faster, but not so much faster that i was like holy fuck he's about get smashed.

 

[AimedWithV]

only if he clinched with dc against the fence. wouldnt have done any other clinching in the middle. the height difference and strength + leverage would have been a better plan, and it wouldnt have suprised me if he made it out of round 1 that his coaches would have told him to make it a closer range fight against the fence. dc's speed was killing him in the middle.

Don't think the location matters. The technique would've worked in hte center of the ring , from back on the fence - anywhere.

Plus, Stipe was not too successful with controlling Cormier. Got reversed multiple times.

I believe Cormier, first and foremost, showed great clinch technique in this fight. Numerous times

 

[BlastoiseDad]

I said first thing when this fight was announced that dc looked better at HW and the primary reason was his speed. He seems to pack more power in his punches at hw too

 

[Gambit MMA]

dc was much quicker.

stipes height and strength would have aided him in a clinch against the fence, if he was in the dominant position at least. and i think if the fight went past the first his corner would have spotted that the speed was a big deal and that they needed to control dc more. their was no chance for adjustments tho so thats that lol. i wouldnt have said stipe needed to control dc to win the fight before it happened, but after watching the fight he def should have did whatever it took to stop dc's speed.

 

[Kabzie]

I like Stipe but he's the best of a bunch of limited HW fighters. Too slow, too predictable for a high ability, high IQ fighter like Daniel.

 

[RiotWyatt]

i don't get how he was so slow, and DC so much faster, yet he still hit Cormier about as much as Cormier hit him?

it's interesting how the genral consensus seems to be that Cormier was beating his ass pretty much.

cuz i thought it was a pretty even fight, DC was a little faster, but not so much faster that i was like holy fuck he's about get smashed.

People are just excited. Stipe did good but really didn’t land as clean as DC was. DC kept moving his head whereas Stipe stood straight up. You could see that DCs punches were affecting Stipe more.

The wrestling exchanges were good too. Stipe is not a bad fighter. Just not the GOAT.

 

[regmma123]

Cormier wrestled in the olympics. Wrestlers are notoriously strong, and DC found a way to turn that strength into punching power

 

[613]

Jones is a roid head. Beating him does nothing for Stipe

There is not a fighter on the UFC roster that would rather have a UFC belt then be the first man to beat Jones. Beating Jones is the biggest accomplishment you can have in MMA right now