The last true fight we saw Jon in was a robbery decision over LHW journeyman Dominic Reyes

[MarioLemieux]

And the fight before that was a close decision against a one-legged LHW journeyman Thiago Santos.

I'm not sure why people are so convinced he's going to have an easy time with a true HW monster like Stipe Miocic who he'll be forced to stand with unlike Gane who is a kickboxer with no grappling.

Stipe might not be Tom or even his old self, but if he is 80% or Stipe Jon could be in seious trouble.

 

[AldoStillGoat]

^ that’s bait

 

[MarioLemieux]

^ that’s bait

It's truth. The Gane match was a cherrypicked squash match against someone with no grappling.

Jon arguably lost to Dominic Reyes in his prime and now he's gonna run over Stipe at HW?

Things can go very wrong for him in there and not be what fans are expecting at all.

 

[TheTickG]

WAR STIPE!

 

[tritestill]

Good thread, also said he was very demotivated for those fights, which could be true

 

[jsbx45]

Stipe has a chance, maybe a good one even. At this point, we don't really know what EITHER of these guys are going to bring to the cage.

 

[MarioLemieux]

Good thread, also said he was very demotivated for those fights, which could be true

Motivated maybe, but the reality is Jon has no power even at LHW, and is basically gonna have to spend the fight standing with a true HW boxer/wrestler who hits like a truck.

If you look past all the GOAT hype he got from fights many years ago at LHW, there is very little to go here that says he runs through a true well rounded HW. He wouldn't go up to HW to fight Cormier for a reason and that's because true HW power is the great equalizer and power is the biggest area Jon lacks.

Jon may be doing everything he can to prepare, but when he steps in there things may not at all go as is being envisioned.

 

[HHJ]

^ that’s bait

PotStillKettle

 

[Ibm]

Stipe is going to win by KO, early RD2 or late 1.

 

[Egészségére!]

Reyes was one of the more athletic guys in the division & had Gus-like size & decent striking which Jones has trouble with

Then he knew how he was going to fight Gane & wanted him to carry the extra weight & sub him early

Now he looks like he’s in great shape & probably plans to drag old man, ring rust Stipe into later rounds & out class/decision him

Of course Stipe has a chance but Jones will be prepared & should be a decent favorite

 

[MarioLemieux]

Reyes was one of the more athletic guys in the division & had Gus-like size & decent striking which Jones has trouble with

Then he knew how he was going to fight Gane & wanted him to carry the extra weight & sub him early

Now he looks like he’s in great shape & probably plans to drag old man, ring rust Stipe into later rounds & out class/decision him

Of course Stipe has a chance but Jones will be prepared & should be a decent favorite

I'm not sold on the narrative that Stipe is as washed as people think.

Early 40's is still decent for a HW and physically he looks as good as ever. Getting starched by Francis doesn't mean much as he devastates most fighters which is why Jon avoided that one. Stipe has had plenty time to rest and recover career long damage.

He might very well come back and look like the same beastly Stipe as always, and that will be when Jon realizes he's up against a true HW who is not a particularly great matchup for him. Jon's going to be in for a tough fight which Stipe has the power to end at any moment. That much I am certain of.

 

[Lycandroid]

so its only a fight if Jon jones almost loses ?

 

[Xoleth]

Reyes is (or was) very, very good... against guys with no real KO power these days.
And Jones doesn't have KO power... (please don't put the Cormier KO gif, even Belal has some finishes)

Maybe Jiri took his soul.
But his striking was actually good, that's why he beat Jones.

It's funny how people complain about GSP vs Hendricks, which was a difficult fight to score, because it involved grappling in all rounds.
But when it comes to a very clear fight to score, like Reyes vs Jones, that had zero grappling in the first 3 rounds, oh, no, we let it pass.

Stipe is just too old and he looked awful 4 years ago vs Ngannou. He looked like a skinny LHW.
And that was 4 years ago?
And he is not known for his work ethic, discipline & nutrition, like GSP.
If I remember his JRE podcast, it was about "pizza, sleep, good wife, sleep, pizza, let's sleep, wife's the greatest, but I also like to sleep & eat pizza"

If Stipe beats Jones I will be shocked. Seriously, it should be the biggest surprise in MMA.
We are talking about Jon Jones here, Dana's favorite.
Well, a few years ago, according to Dana, he was the guy who lost to Reyes and who ran scared from Ngannou, like he supposed to be, because Ngannou is so scary, Ford Fiesta or some shit like that.
But now he is Dana's favorite.

 

[MigitAs]

It's truth. The Gane match was a cherrypicked squash match against someone with no grappling.

Jon arguably lost to Dominic Reyes in his prime and now he's gonna run over Stipe at HW?

Things can go very wrong for him in there and not be what fans are expecting at all.

How dare you disgrace the name of Lemieux with this trolling. Stipe is almost 50 and Jon has been preparing for him for 10 years, I feel like it’s beyond a foregone conclusion.

 

[Equinox Shadow]

Yep, Jones arguably lost to both Reyes and Santos.
..Jones brought his D game to those two fights. Was lucky to get those favorable decisions.
...But now chunky HW Jones brought his better grappling game to the Gane fight.

...Jones is looking more fit these days, not chunky. I'm rooting for Stipe, but his bowed legs were not looking good walking into the arena to watch one of the fight nights. If you don't have good agility against Jones, you are in for a very rough night. If Jones has his typical athleticism, speed and agility he will eventually grapple Stipe and submit him. I don't see Jones pulling a Werdum and running after and into Stipe's counter punch.

...Another thing Jones does very well, if he starts getting touched up with striking, he literally turns and runs to the other side of the Octagon to recover and regroup and reset. He did it a few times in the Reyes fight, did it in the Rampage fight.

 

[Substance Abuse]

Jones was in his prime against Reyes?

 

[MarioLemieux]

Reyes is (or was) very, very good... against guys with no real KO power these days.
And Jones doesn't have KO power... (please don't put the Cormier KO gif, even Belal has some finishes)

Maybe Jiri took his soul.
But his striking was actually good, that's why he beat Jones.

It's funny how people complain about GSP vs Hendricks, which was a difficult fight to score, because it involved grappling in all rounds.
But when it comes to a very clear fight to score, like Reyes vs Jones, that had zero grappling in the first 3 rounds, oh, no, we let it pass.

Stipe is just too old and he looked awful 4 years ago vs Ngannou. He looked like a skinny LHW.
And that was 4 years ago?
And he is not known for his work ethic, discipline & nutrition, like GSP.
If I remember his JRE podcast, it was about "pizza, sleep, good wife, sleep, pizza, let's sleep, wife's the greatest, but I also like to sleep & eat pizza"

If Stipe beats Jones I will be shocked. Seriously, it should be the biggest surprise in MMA.
We are talking about Jon Jones here, Dana's favorite.
Well, a few years ago, according to Dana, he was the guy who lost to Reyes and who ran scared from Ngannou, like he supposed to be, because Ngannou is so scary, Ford Fiesta or some shit like that.
But now he is Dana's favorite.

Stipe is far more dangerous a striker than Reyes ever was he's an actual HW who has stopped a HW DC, JDS, Reem, Arlovski, Hunt compared to Dom who has finished who exactly that is anywhere close to as dangerous?

Judging him as washed because he got flatlined in just over 5 minutes against the hardest hitting hw of all time that Jon avoided is a bit silly and premature no?

 

[MarioLemieux]

Jones was in his prime against Reyes?

He was only 32 which is his physical prime even if he didn't look as impressive anymore. That kind of only strenghtens my argument though because he's only deteriorated since. Same for Stipe, but Stipe has a cleaner life than Jon and looks better and younger.

A couple weeks ago

Beastin. Looks notably thicker than he did against Francis.

 

[Substance Abuse]

He was only 32 which is his physical prime even if he didn't look as impressive anymore. That kind of only strenghtens my argument though because he's only deteriorated since. Same for Stipe, but Stipe has a cleaner life than Jon and looks better and younger.

It was his 12th year fighting. Jones' performances were uneven and began to fluctuate around the time of the OSP fight, vacillating between lackluster and dominant. Why? I figure it goes without saying.

 

[TITS]

Stipe is going to win by KO, early RD2 or late 1.

Mr. Stipey is going to shut all the casual haters up. And after he KO's Jon he's going to take Aspinall to school. The best thing about all of this is how rustled Dana's jimmies are gonna be when it's all said and done.