LOL I was with you until you said Stipe. The dude that was already old, then got KTFO, then sat on his couch for 3 years, suddenly gets a title shot? How the hell are you impressed with that one?
No, Stipe was on point that night. Even Tom said, in the TNT fight lab, that he didn't think Stipe looked old or off. Instead, Tom stated (look for TNT fight lab) that he was impressed Stipe still had the conditioning to fight until round 3 after that round 1 breakdown... That he legit didn't expect for that.
In fact, many analysts point out specifics about Stipe having a better timing there than he had in his last 3 previous fights, accounting for specific data on timing, speed measurement and head movements in rounds 2 and 3, like his first attempted strikes before the takedown, info on his BPM being comparable to the one he had vs Ngannou (first fight, available on X from screenshots taken in recap analysis)..
His head movement being taken from the round two stances he dodged Jon Jones's jabs, measured to have the same speed they had vs Gus and DC 1.
So yes, that was not a washed Stipe, in fact if you dig some post fight interviews, who are tough to find due to YouTube algorithm, Stipe said he felt better in that fight, both physically and mentally, than in his last fight vs Ngannou, and his fights vs DC, citing the lay off allowing him to get a good recovery to maximize his training so he could get into a good shape and the right motivation for a fight vs someone he cited that, besides a third match with Ngannou, was the one who would make him fight and train heavily again. He said he wasn't even caring about the belt or money that much as he was caring to fight and beat JJ. He said his lack of promo or anything had also to do with a desire to just show up and shut everyone up shut everyone up and also, bring the pressure upon JJ so a loss to him would have way more weight... He joked that "but in the end those fans end up seeing me as old and washed anyways haha but I know that who really understands of MMA wouldn't think that".
I am bringing facts, if you just mock the answer, ok, I won't waste time because I'm not interested in what people convince themselves as the case as I am about a real in depth and logical analysis, which heavy layered evidence supports. Whether you think it's BS tho, whatever. To each his own.
