Rewatch Stipe's last fight

[Portland8242]

-Comes in at 230, giving up like 40 pounds of straight muscle to Francis
-Timid as hell, basically lost every exchange in the 1st round, always backing up (NOT his style at all, Stipe is a ring general type of fighter)
-Tries a telegraphed single leg, gets easily stuffed and ends up eating nasty clinch shots from Francis
-Round 2 comes around, Frank drops Stipe with a weird step in jab kind of punch, Stipe tries swinging with him, gets slept

You're gonna tell me that this guy - who's now almost 4 years older, who's been working full time as a firefighter for the last 2.5 years, is supposed to make for some kind of compelling fight with Jones?

Even at 6:1 odds it honestly looks like free money.

 

[Final Say]

1. Jones is an entirely different fight in every single way, there is no knockout threat at range. 2 it’ll be in a larger cage. 3. stipe didn’t just try ‘swinging with’ Francis, he rocked him and tried to jump on him.

 

[Portland8242]

1. Jones is an entirely different fight in every single way, there is no knockout threat at range. 2 it’ll be in a larger cage. 3. stipe didn’t just try ‘swinging with’ Francis, he rocked him and tried to jump on him.

Lol Stipe is shot dude. There's nothing left of him as a fighter, he's old geriatric full time firefighter who's already 1 foot out the door. He's just here for a payday and nothing more.

 

[Gio]

It led to this legendary thread - https://forums.sherdog.com/threads/shoop-iconic-photo-of-the-main-event-title-fight.4172934/

Shoop^ by @Iron Nick

 

[JBJ was here]

1. Jones is an entirely different fight in every single way, there is no knockout threat at range.

No knockout threat, just the certainty of a broken knee for Stipe.

 

[Final Say]

Lol Stipe is shot dude. There's nothing left of him as a fighter, he's old geriatric full time firefighter who's already 1 foot out the door. He's just here for a payday and nothing more.

He came in light for this fight, should have put the weight back on that he lost for DC and he ended up fighting an improved Francis as a smaller man in a smaller cage. It was a terrible miscalculation.

If you think he’s only here for a payday, you don’t know him very well.

 

[JBJ was here]

He came in light for this fight, should have put the weight back on that he lost for DC and he ended up fighting an improved Francis as a smaller man in a smaller cage. It was a terrible miscalculation.

If you think he’s only here for a payday, you don’t know him very well.

DC, with his 40 inch reach, low-to-moderate striking volume, and 50% career accuracy, landed 181 significant strikes at a 67% clip in the second fight with Stipe.

Jones is going to break Stipe on the feet.

 

[Portland8242]

If you think he’s only here for a payday, you don’t know him very well.

Yeah, totally commonplace for 43 year olds to take almost 4 years off when they're already at the tail-end of their careers.

Sorry if you're just finding out that Santa Clause isn't real this Saturday.

 

[Raymundo Alvarado Guevara]

Let's see what happens

 

[Luthien]

Don't forget that the second fight was held at the Apex.

The Apex is a smaller cage. Likely threw Stipe for a loop how close he suddenly was to Francis xD

 

[Final Say]

DC, with his 40 inch reach, low-to-moderate striking volume, and 50% career accuracy, landed 181 significant strikes at a 67% clip in the second fight with Stipe.

Jones is going to break Stipe on the feet.

Stipe is a better striker than DC, obviously, and jones will almost certainly not want to stand with stipe long

 

[deanambrose]

Quick Stipe timeline :

- Prime Stipe schools pre-prime still green Ngannou.
- Twilight of his Prime Stipe loses to past-prime DC via dirty boxing.
- Twilight of his Prime Stipe wins against past-prime past back surgery old DC who is still winning the fight until bodyshots. DC can't use his wrestling anymore*
- Past Prime Stipe defeats Washed Old DC in terrible fight where both are looking bad.
- Past Prime Stipe loses to Prime Ngannou in quick fashion. He is shadow of his past self at this point.

Now Stipe is more than likely washed. Maybe not Tony Ferguson washed but he has ring-rust, coming off nasty KO and most likely will be decimated in 1-2 rounds.

Okay I and many people are suggesting that this is mismatch and Jones should fight Aspinall BUT look at Jonny's last 5 fights :
- Gus 2. Gus was way past his prime/washed at that point. Prime Gus gave him great fight.
- Smith. Smith is B level guy and Jones couldn't finish him. Could even lose by DQ.
- Santos. Debatable decision. Looked bad against one legged Thiago who wasn't even elite.
- Reyes. Robbery of the highest orda.
- Gane. And this is interesting. I know that it was stylistically good match up for Jon but here me out. Cyril had so bad off night performance that this cold and calculated striker who wasn't afraid to trade punches with Francis was scared shitless and his first strike was groin shot. It was almost like Bones fighting washed fighter. Gane at his peak would give same trouble as Reyes but he was at his worst. Look at Pavlovich - he has better CV than Volkov but was schooled because of off night and past KO performance.

Summary - I think Jon is also past prime but question is how bad? He was not looking like world beater few last outings.
So it all depends in what form each fighter will show up.
They both lose to Tom tho.

 

[World eater]

You're gonna tell me

Looks like you’re telling us.
Did you bet all you’ve got since it’s free money? Only asking because I tried to look up Ngannou - Jones footage to compare and couldn’t find any.

 

[Final Say]

Yeah, totally commonplace for 43 year olds to take almost 4 years off when they're already at the tail-end of their careers.

Sorry if you're just finding out that Santa Clause isn't real this Saturday.

lol, every time someone is so positive stipe will lose, he gets a little older.

Is he 41,42,43..? 50? 58 like Tyson? At this rate he’ll be 90 by Saturday

 

[haj02]

Stipe fans and half this forum gonna be in tears this weekend. It's going to be glorious. Don't say you weren't warned, to anyone picking Stipe.

 

[Natural Order]

1. Jones is an entirely different fight in every single way, there is no knockout threat at range. 2 it’ll be in a larger cage. 3. stipe didn’t just try ‘swinging with’ Francis, he rocked him and tried to jump on him.

Buddy you must have notifications sent to your phone anytime the words 'Stipe' or 'Miocic' are posted here.

Don't worry, it'll all be over soon, chief.

I will say though that nothing would put a smile on my face more than to see Stipe flatline Jon, so I'm definitely on team Miocic for this even though the outcome likely isn't good.

 

[Tweak896]

I know people think Stipe messed up by showing up slim, but if you watch the first fight between him and Ngannou, his main strategy was cardio and he didn't really have to "out strength" Ngannou. He timed shots and took him down with skill. Ngannou just came prepared to show his TDD was different than the first time.

Stipe didn't have much intention for trading with Ngannou so we don't know much about where he is. His wrestling has likely deteriorated considering he didn't look very good offensively, but still a mystery how his TDD is because Ngannou wasn't trying to take him down.

 

[Jose Beehive]

Ya'll are tripping about no KO threat at range, doesn't have many KO's from range of course, but there's for sure a threat.

 

[J'Ghasta]

Ya'll are tripping about no KO threat at range, doesn't have many KO's from range of course, but there's for sure a threat.

The headkick didnt even put DC down. Plus DCs head is like a foot lower than Stipes right in range of Jons kicks.

 

[Jose Beehive]

The headkick didnt even put DC down. Plus DCs head is like a foot lower than Stipes right in range of Jons kicks.

It doesn't matter, it absolutely wrecked him.. The tools are there and that creates possibilities.. His use of range is masterful and one of his greatest assets, to suggest he has no KO threat from range is incredibly naive imo.

Land this, night night.