Stipe never beat a good HW in their prime

[Hima Hamrash]

Sherbros who discredit Stipe's legacy are simply haters and blinded by hate, for whatever reason, Idk why hate on one of the most hard working, nicest, kindest souls and one of the most inspiring and one of the most humble guys in the sport who also has fans that aren't that noisy, the guy is also a firefighter too, so have some respect for him, and whether they love him or hate him but he had an amazing career of accomplishments tho, a career that a lot of HWs would dream to have, like, they discredit his legacy by saying he fought guys that weren't in their primes, like, when you people are gonna say it's because the guy is too fucking good and that's it? also what if I told y'all that no prime or prime, Stipe would've still beaten these guys? cause ppl talk about the HWs Stipe fought and question if they're in their primes? like why not question just how good is/was prime Stipe?

Cause also, saying that Stipe has beaten washed guys, it's like saying that the 1st guys Jon Jones has defended his title against were legends yeah but past their primes then, by your logic then, and then once Jon fought a LHW contender who is young and was in his prime like Gus, he almost lost and Gus gave him a run for his money, like, what if I would discredit Jon's legacy like that then? as well as what if I would discredit Jon's last win? I can also discredit his win over Gane for the HW title and say that he beat Gane who was still green then, and ofc other than the fact that the guy popped for steroids a lot and tested positive a lot but either way he is the MMA GOAT tho, same with Stipe being the UFC HW GOAT, not really MMA HW GOAT as I'd rank Fedor, Big Nog and Cro Cop ahead of him tho but he's the UFC HW GOAT, even the media, fans, refs, fighters, Commentators, MMA/Sports Analysists and among other publications alike call him that (UFC HW GOAT), so he's actually above Cain, JDS, Couture and Werdum, OP.

 

[corrupted]

DC was clearly out of his prime. JDS had clearly declined by the time Jokic beat him. Overeems prime was when he was juiced to the gills 5 or 6 years earlier. Outside of that he was a 50/50 fighter. Werdum was 39yrs old not mid-30s. Hunt was clearly out of his prime. Arlovski was 15 years and about 10 ko's into his career when Stipe beat him.

Perhaps you could say Ngannou was in his prime but that's it.

No. Respectfully. Werdum was at the time in the argument for best ever HW. Could still be argued that at that time he was absolutely the best HW on earth. He lost like a a mug. But that victory can't be glossed over.

He beat Mark Hunt to a pulp when he was no scrub and went a while without being beaten like that again....and was arguably robbed in his first fight with JDS, still after Cain II, but still, I felt he won.

I would likely argue against Stipe being more than top 5 in the HW landscape over time. But he bet guys that were beating other guys that got them the shot or title respectively.

If we're gonna go down the road of who beat who when and if that win ages well. Frank in his athletic prime lost to Lewis. Who was likely past HIS prime at the point.

The names on Stipe's CV check out imo. Beating now might not be the biggest accomplishment. But his run can't be cast off as a guy that beat a bunch of old guys on their way out. Same as Da Crees.


.

 

[Westbrick]

same shit with DC at HW/LHW

Shit ass resumés.

 

[listrahtes]

Kinda funny to put Ngannou at 31 years of age as too green after wins vs. Arlovski, Overeem & Blaydes <Lmaoo>

But reality is that HW in general has taken a dive downwards since the Strikeforce talent went out of their primes. That was the last high level infusion.
Problem is and always was that there arent that much high level HW so that you have to actively scout for them and pay high wages. Pride did that but UFC didnt do that for many years so high level talent from wrestling, judo, boxing, kickboxing would not make the jump.
We now see some higher level kickboxers because K1 went extinct at the highest level.

If UFC would pay big money for the top players at Judo and Wrestling we would get some absolute machines transitioning at an age were they would make a huge impact in mma.Or think about Frank Sanchez level boxers transitioning into mma because pay would be that good from the start. There is talent you just have to pay for it and take a gambl.e

Stipe was an above average HW champ but he always had holes in his game. By the rematch vs. Ngannou it wasnt so much about Ngannou having gotten better but that Stipe was at the very end of his ability to fight high level.

 

[Hima Hamrash]

both resumés are weak, obvious Stipe still way better.

What a Casual take!

 

[Hima Hamrash]

Kinda funny to put Ngannou at 31 years of age as too green after wins vs. Arlovski, Overeem & Blaydes <Lmaoo>

But reality is that HW in general has taken a dive downwards since the Strikeforce talent went out of their primes. That was the last high level infusion.
Problem is and always was that there arent that much high level HW so that you have to actively scout for them and pay high wages. Pride did that but UFC didnt do that for many years so high level talent from wrestling, judo, boxing, kickboxing would not make the jump.
We now see some higher level kickboxers because K1 went extinct at the highest level.

If UFC would pay big money for the top players at Judo and Wrestling we would get some absolute machines transitioning at an age were they would make a huge impact in mma.Or think about Frank Sanchez level boxers transitioning into mma because pay would be that good from the start. There is talent you just have to pay for it and take a gambl.e

Stipe was an above average HW champ but he always had holes in his game. By the rematch vs. Ngannou it wasnt so much about Ngannou having gotten better but that Stipe was at the very end of his ability to fight high level.

Big example about a talent transitioning from another combat sport to MMA is Gable Steveson for an example, right? that dude is a machine and Henry Cejudo said that he would've beaten Ngannou and even Jon but dude chose to sign with WWE instead of UFC lol.

 

[listrahtes]

Big example about a talent transitioning from another combat sport to MMA is Gable Steveson for an example, right? that dude is a machine and Henry Cejudo said that he would've beaten Ngannou and even Jon but dude chose to sign with WWE instead of UFC lol.

Dont know him but just in freestyle and greco there are amazing talents worldwide. Judos association still kinda hates mma and does everything possible to prevent their top dogs to make the move but with enough money you could get them. UFC is just used to give near any new UFC fighter their standard contract and that simply doesnt work out with HW. Crocop, Hunt..etc would never have transitioned if Pride would not have paid premium dollars.

But it seems UFC still doesnt get the idea of actively scouting and contracting high level talent. Thats the curse of being nr.1 you get lazy.

 

[Ibm]

He still beats Jones though, in either possibility.

 

[Hima Hamrash]

Nope, not one. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Roy Nelson - 37yrs old
Gabriel Gonzaga - 34yrs old
Mark Hunt - 41yrs old
Andrei Arlovski - 37yrs old
Fabricio Werdum - 39yrs old
Alistair Overeem - 36yrs old, non-Uber
Junior Dos Santos - post-Cain & Overeem
Francis Ngannou - Green
Daniel Cormier - 40yrs old
Daniel Cormier - 41yrs old

In fact the only prime HWs he faced...Francis, JDS, Struve...all beat him.

Stipe can never be the GOAT HW because he doesn't have a single legitimately great win. Not one.

Because of this Stipe firmly ranks behind Fedor, Big Nog, Cain, JDS, Couture, Werdum, and probably a few others.

Or you know what, OP? despite we had our differences, I Kinda think you're right, also let's remember that Stipe was inactive af, Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski were even more active than him, Cain was inactive as well tho, but Stipe at least is higher than Lesnar tho as well as higher than Timmeh and Arlovski ofc cause their reign was back when the division was at it's absolute weakest, but also, Stipe is ofc way more inactive than Cain BTW, so I kinda agree, Stipe is mediocre at best.

 

[blaseblase]

By the rematch vs. Ngannou it wasnt so much about Ngannou having gotten better but that Stipe was at the very end of his ability to fight high level.

I disagree. There was a clear difference in strategy between the two Ngannou fights. In the first fight Ngannou was a wild man, chasing Stipe and trying to take his head off. He gassed out after a round because of it. Second fight he was calm and composed, picked his shots, then countered Stipe perfectly as he ran in.