I fucking love DC but after the Stipe fight I couldn't help but see him a little differently. He's ego was out of control. The fact he wouldn't adjust after Stipe was ripping body shots had me losing my mind. He obviously had an answer but refused to adjust.
What answer did he have? He was very comfortable in the fight, executing flawlessly and it and what was much more weird was that Stipe seemed to have nothing at all, like he was totally surprised to see Cormier doing what Cormier does. Pretty much out of nowhere Stipe digs hard into the liver and we have seen countless times what a good liver shot or two does to fighters. Cormier's face changed, he was not well. Stipe would not let up but kept smashing the same spot at a point when Cormier just needs time to get his body back because you can't eplode effectively when you can barely stay upright, he would have enjoyed being punched in the head a few times so he could get his body back but didn't get that respite, and lost.
Happens all the time, you are the better fighter until you lose. Sonnen was mauling prime Silva for like 24 minutes until he lost, it happens.
DC did him dirty. Eyepoked the fuck outta him. Then ducked an immediate rematch (to a champ who broke UFC HW records for defenses) to take an easier fight with Derrick.
Stipe pieced him good in the rematch and DCs ego can't stand it. That's why Jones is forever in his head.
Derrick was a last second thing for an injured DC. You know that young man.
Yeah, he was gonna fight Brock, who was clearly next in line.
DC did him dirty. Eyepoked the fuck outta him. Then ducked an immediate rematch (to a champ who broke UFC HW records for defenses) to take an easier fight with Derrick.
Stipe pieced him good in the rematch and DCs ego can't stand it. That's why Jones is forever in his head.
Derrick was a last second thing for an injured DC. You know that young man.
Derrick had shit cardio and just said a month prior he wasn't ready.. but DC wanted Derrick so he got him. You bring up that he was injured.. that's why Lewis is tailor made. Definitely not enough cardio or wrestling to be a threat outside of the first.
I fucking love DC but after the Stipe fight I couldn't help but see him a little differently. He's ego was out of control. The fact he wouldn't adjust after Stipe was ripping body shots had me losing my mind. He obviously had an answer but refused to adjust.
What answer did he have? He was very comfortable in the fight, executing flawlessly and it and what was much more weird was that Stipe seemed to have nothing at all, like he was totally surprised to see Cormier doing what Cormier does. Pretty much out of nowhere Stipe digs hard into the liver and we have seen countless times what a good liver shot or two does to fighters. Cormier's face changed, he was not well. Stipe would not let up but kept smashing the same spot at a point when Cormier just needs time to get his body back because you can't eplode effectively when you can barely stay upright, he would have enjoyed being punched in the head a few times so he could get his body back but didn't get that respite, and lost.
Happens all the time, you are the better fighter until you lose. Sonnen was mauling prime Silva for like 24 minutes until he lost, it happens.
Great post.
Hard to watch both fights and come away thinking that Stipe is more skilled. He won the second fight fair and square. He adjusted and DC didn’t. Moreover, DC stopped doing what worked because he got lazy.
DC did him dirty. Eyepoked the fuck outta him. Then ducked an immediate rematch (to a champ who broke UFC HW records for defenses) to take an easier fight with Derrick.
Stipe pieced him good in the rematch and DCs ego can't stand it. That's why Jones is forever in his head.
lol what fight did you see? he was winning the 2nd fight extremely strategically until he got caught after not listening to his corner
While the MarcusAurelioGroupie guy is an idiot, DC did not get caught.
DC won the first, then it was about even 2 & 3. In round 4 Stipe made one of the most brilliant mid-fight adjustments and targeted the body. He landed about 20 solid body shots before he hurt DC and then put him away with head shots.
It wasn't even. DC kicked Stipes ass so bad in that fight. Nice adjustment from Stipe but DC beat himself in that fight. Stipe was so easy to hit DC started to overestimate himself.
I fucking love DC but after the Stipe fight I couldn't help but see him a little differently. He's ego was out of control. The fact he wouldn't adjust after Stipe was ripping body shots had me losing my mind. He obviously had an answer but refused to adjust.
What answer did he have? He was very comfortable in the fight, executing flawlessly and it and what was much more weird was that Stipe seemed to have nothing at all, like he was totally surprised to see Cormier doing what Cormier does. Pretty much out of nowhere Stipe digs hard into the liver and we have seen countless times what a good liver shot or two does to fighters. Cormier's face changed, he was not well. Stipe would not let up but kept smashing the same spot at a point when Cormier just needs time to get his body back because you can't eplode effectively when you can barely stay upright, he would have enjoyed being punched in the head a few times so he could get his body back but didn't get that respite, and lost.
Happens all the time, you are the better fighter until you lose. Sonnen was mauling prime Silva for like 24 minutes until he lost, it happens.
He was punched in the head a few times, and was knocked out because of it…
I think it was an all-time great fight when you look at both how the fight played out and also the context (a rematch for the HW title - if DC wins then Stipe is pretty much done getting cracks at DC and has to live with being down 2-0 to him, but if he wins he is 1-1 and has the belt, so a very pivotal fight).
I remember DC definitely looking like the better fighter from the opening bell on for a round, round and a half, two rounds? Can’t remember for how long but DC looked amazing and Stipe needed all of his skill, toughness, and chin to survive. DC was very effectively aggressive. But one of the most c1assic and repeating stories in fights is the fighter that hangs in there when things aren’t going his way and figures out a way to win and that’s what Stipe did. He found a weakness in DC’s defense and not only that but Stipe was able to fire really hard shots into that weakness. I think Stipe deserves all the credit in the world. It wasn’t a lucky win. It was gritty, a great display of making a crucial adjustment on the fly, and it was ultimately very decisive.
In every Rocky movie and almost every martial arts movie the hero takes a serious beating that would break most people only to tough it out and then find a way to take the upper hand. That’s what Stipe did, but he did it in real life in a UFC heavyweight championship match, against an all-time great.
Stipe was JCVD and he made DC play the role of Bolo Yeung.
Canooke - I think it was an all-time great fight when you look at both how the fight played out and also the context (a rematch for the HW title - if DC wins then Stipe is pretty much done getting cracks at DC and has to live with being down 2-0 to him, but if he wins he is 1-1 and has the belt, so a very pivotal fight).
I remember DC definitely looking like the better fighter from the opening bell on for a round, round and a half, two rounds? Can’t remember for how long but DC looked amazing and Stipe needed all of his skill, toughness, and chin to survive. DC was very effectively aggressive. But one of the most and repeating stories in fights is the fighter that hangs in there when things aren’t going his way and figures out a way to win and that’s what Stipe did. He found a weakness in DC’s defense and not only that but Stipe was able to fire really hard shots into that weakness. I think Stipe deserves all the credit in the world. It wasn’t a lucky win. It was gritty, a great display of making a crucial adjustment on the fly, and it was ultimately very decisive.
In every Rocky movie and almost every martial arts movie the hero takes a serious beating that would break most people only to tough it out and then find a way to take the upper hand. That’s what Stipe did, but he did it in real life in a UFC heavyweight championship match, against an all-time great.
Stipe was JCVD and he made DC play the role of Bolo Yeung.
Great post.
No luck about the win. Stipe showed the heart of a warrior.
Beggining of a fight doesn't matter. Stipe adjusted perfectly and won that fight very convincily, the fact people say "but but Cormier was winning" is so dumb. Stipe already said he's not fighting during the pandemic, I don't see why he owes it to Cormier to rush it just because Cormier has retirement plans. If he really wants to be the champ he will have to wait a bit. Same thing he did to Stipe.
Beggining of a fight doesn't matter. Stipe adjusted perfectly and won that fight very convincily, the fact people say "but but Cormier was winning" is so dumb. Stipe already said he's not fighting during the pandemic, I don't see why he owes it to Cormier to rush it just because Cormier has retirement plans. If he really wants to be the champ he will have to wait a bit. Same thing he did to Stipe.
Of course the beginning matters.
It’s not just Stipe who adjusted. Cormier adjusted. He went from a wrestling heavy approach in which he easily secured his first takedown attempt and beat up Stipe from the top position to a striking based approach in which he was winning until he wasn’t.
In that fight we saw that when DC wrestles Stipe, he wins.
DC did him dirty. Eyepoked the fuck outta him. Then ducked an immediate rematch (to a champ who broke UFC HW records for defenses) to take an easier fight with Derrick.
Stipe pieced him good in the rematch and DCs ego can't stand it. That's why Jones is forever in his head.
lol what fight did you see? he was winning the 2nd fight extremely strategically until he got caught after not listening to his corner
While the MarcusAurelioGroupie guy is an idiot, DC did not get caught.
DC won the first, then it was about even 2 & 3. In round 4 Stipe made one of the most brilliant mid-fight adjustments and targeted the body. He landed about 20 solid body shots before he hurt DC and then put him away with head shots.
IDK why but Stipe puts ME to sleep. He has lots of KOs and most of his bouts are still not exciting. But damn right that was beautiful. DC had no answer for the body shots and Miocic played it perfectly. There was NO luck at all. It was awesome.
But just as DC was right to point out how Stipe left himself open for the counter hook, and Miocic adjusted, so can DC next time. No way to predict how this will turn about, but DC is a sore loser. It’s the first that I know of he admits anything for JBJ, and know he can’t for Stipe who clearly beat him.
Beggining of a fight doesn't matter. Stipe adjusted perfectly and won that fight very convincily, the fact people say "but but Cormier was winning" is so dumb. Stipe already said he's not fighting during the pandemic, I don't see why he owes it to Cormier to rush it just because Cormier has retirement plans. If he really wants to be the champ he will have to wait a bit. Same thing he did to Stipe.
Of course the beginning matters.
It’s not just Stipe who adjusted. Cormier adjusted. He went from a wrestling heavy approach in which he easily secured his first takedown attempt and beat up Stipe from the top position to a striking based approach in which he was winning until he wasn’t.
In that fight we saw that when DC wrestles Stipe, he wins.
I’d have to re-watch it but takedowns are expensive energy-wise. Is it possible that DC is/was able to take Stipe down and also that he was able to be effective once he took Stipe down, BUT that DC only has so many takedowns in his budget in a 5 round fight and that they become risky if he attempts too many with respect to the possibility that he depletes himself in a fight where cardio and pacing are really important?
DC had a lot of success with the early takedown(s) and the punches from top position but he was also beating Stipe up badly standing. Maybe DC calculated that his standing offense offered him the best value with respect to hurting Stipe and conserving his energy at the same time? Maybe DC was very aware of his gas tank limitations. If I recall correctly, DC’s energy and output had curtailed before Stipe started ripping the hard shots to his body.
I’m considering getting Fight Pass so that I can re-watch this (and of course I’d watch other fights too).
Beggining of a fight doesn't matter. Stipe adjusted perfectly and won that fight very convincily, the fact people say "but but Cormier was winning" is so dumb. Stipe already said he's not fighting during the pandemic, I don't see why he owes it to Cormier to rush it just because Cormier has retirement plans. If he really wants to be the champ he will have to wait a bit. Same thing he did to Stipe.
Of course the beginning matters.
It’s not just Stipe who adjusted. Cormier adjusted. He went from a wrestling heavy approach in which he easily secured his first takedown attempt and beat up Stipe from the top position to a striking based approach in which he was winning until he wasn’t.
In that fight we saw that when DC wrestles Stipe, he wins.
I’d have to re-watch it but takedowns are expensive energy-wise. Is it possible that DC is/was able to take Stipe down and also that he was able to be effective once he took Stipe down, BUT that DC only has so many takedowns in his budget in a 5 round fight and that they become risky if he attempts too many with respect to the possibility that he depletes himself in a fight where cardio and pacing are really important?
DC had a lot of success with the early takedown(s) and the punches from top position but he was also beating Stipe up badly standing. Maybe DC calculated that his standing offense offered him the best value with respect to hurting Stipe and conserving his energy at the same time? Maybe DC was very aware of his gas tank limitations. If I recall correctly, DC’s energy and output had curtailed before Stipe started ripping the hard shots to his body.
I’m considering getting Fight Pass so that I can re-watch this (and of course I’d watch other fights too).
Good response. A couple notes:
-You’re right about takedowns being energy expensive. But, DC got that first takedown easy. The issue as I see it is that Stipe’s work from bottom was no fun. It hurt and made DC work. Stipe had to work, too. I honestly believe that DC could have kept that up early.
-I agree that DC made a calculation that since he was winning the standup battle, he might at well keep it standing. However, I attribute that to laziness rather than a calculation on how best to win. If you have two paths to victory, why not choose the physically easier one?
-Regardless of my thoughts, Stipe’s adjustment was an all-time great one.