It's almost like DC is trying to get a 3rd fight or something...
why stand with him at all when u have olympic wresting ability?
DC won the first fight with a one punch KO. Like many fighters, he fell in love with the feeling of KOing his opponent and refused to adjust in the second fight when Stipe went to the body.
If DC relies more on his wrestling, I believe he wins decisively...and hopefully retire on top.
JThomasufc91 -TexDeuce -He's right.
Agreed
Same here
wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -TheGrandConjuration -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.
Thanks for the reply!
Maybe I’m just saying the same thing from a slightly different angle but I think that any plan that’s good for two rounds, even if it has a good chance of finishing the fight begs the question, “But where does this leave me if I’m unable to finish the fight?”. If the question is “Where does it leave me (DC) if I box and dirty box and I’m unable to put Stipe away?”, then I think the answer could reasonably be, “With less energy than I had in the first round but with enough to mount some good offense and defense.”. DC might have though that the answer to, “What if I wrestle Stipe and beat him up from top position?”, the answer might have been, “Possibly a huffing and puffing sitting duck in rounds 4 and 5.”
Where do I end up if plan A fails? I really need to re-watch DC/Stipe 2 but I think I recall DC looking tired in the 3rd round. DC had been the aggressor and he hadn’t done a ton of wrestling. Those are sort of optimal facts for DC. You would assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he had done more wrestling, and you’d assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he’d been the nail instead of the hammer for most of the fight up until that point (though it’s also very common for fighters in both MMA and boxing to tire themselves out with their output). Basically, The first half of the fight went DC’s way and he didn’t wrestle that much and he was still tired. Does it make sense to wrestle more? Sure, maybe more wrestling could have helped him to close the deal and stop Stipe but if the wrestling allowed him to mount a lot of great offense but not put Stipe away then Cormier could have been really screwed.
I completely agree with “I honestly believe that DC could have kept that up early.”, just that if he doesn’t put Stipe away he could be really drained. Even if the takedowns are coming easy, the groundwork, as you said, is taxing. It’s usually going to be more energy efficient to be fighting standing and unconnected to your opponent. Stipe has a way lower BMI and at least looks to be better built for endurance.
Canooke -wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -TheGrandConjuration -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.
Thanks for the reply!
Maybe I’m just saying the same thing from a slightly different angle but I think that any plan that’s good for two rounds, even if it has a good chance of finishing the fight begs the question, “But where does this leave me if I’m unable to finish the fight?”. If the question is “Where does it leave me (DC) if I box and dirty box and I’m unable to put Stipe away?”, then I think the answer could reasonable be, “With less energy than I had in the first round but with enough to mount some good offense and defense.”. DC might have though that the answer to, “What if I wrestle Stipe and beat him up from top position?”, the answer might have been, “Possibly a huffing and puffing sitting duck in rounds 4 and 5.”
Where do I end up if plan A fails? I really need to re-watch DC/Stipe 2 but I think I recall DC looking tired in the 3rd round. DC had been the aggressor and he hadn’t done a ton of wrestling. Those are sort of optimal facts for DC. You would assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he had done more wrestling, and you’d assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he’d been the nail instead of the hammer for most of the fight up until that point (though it’s also very common for fighters in both MMA and boxing to tire themselves out with their output). Basically, The first half of the fight went DC’s way and he didn’t wrestle that much and he was still tired. Does it make sense to wrestle more? Sure, maybe more wrestling could have helped him to close the deal and stop Stipe but if the wrestling allowed him to mount a lot of great offense but not put Stipe away then Cormier could have been really screwed.
I completely agree with “I honestly believe that DC could have kept that up early.”, just that if he doesn’t put Stipe away he could be really drained. Even if the takedowns are coming easy, the groundwork, as you said, is taxing. It’s usually going to be more energy efficient to be fighting standing and unconnected to your opponent. Stipe has a way lower BMI and at least looks to be better built for endurance.
Good stuff.
IMO, DC needs to make three big adjustments:
(1) Wrestle much more.
(2) Utilize his good leg kick game much more.
And, most important to our discussion:
(3) Not try to KO Stipe. His belief that he could KO Stipe is, IMO, what led to him gassing.
wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -TheGrandConjuration -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.
Thanks for the reply!
Maybe I’m just saying the same thing from a slightly different angle but I think that any plan that’s good for two rounds, even if it has a good chance of finishing the fight begs the question, “But where does this leave me if I’m unable to finish the fight?”. If the question is “Where does it leave me (DC) if I box and dirty box and I’m unable to put Stipe away?”, then I think the answer could reasonable be, “With less energy than I had in the first round but with enough to mount some good offense and defense.”. DC might have though that the answer to, “What if I wrestle Stipe and beat him up from top position?”, the answer might have been, “Possibly a huffing and puffing sitting duck in rounds 4 and 5.”
Where do I end up if plan A fails? I really need to re-watch DC/Stipe 2 but I think I recall DC looking tired in the 3rd round. DC had been the aggressor and he hadn’t done a ton of wrestling. Those are sort of optimal facts for DC. You would assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he had done more wrestling, and you’d assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he’d been the nail instead of the hammer for most of the fight up until that point (though it’s also very common for fighters in both MMA and boxing to tire themselves out with their output). Basically, The first half of the fight went DC’s way and he didn’t wrestle that much and he was still tired. Does it make sense to wrestle more? Sure, maybe more wrestling could have helped him to close the deal and stop Stipe but if the wrestling allowed him to mount a lot of great offense but not put Stipe away then Cormier could have been really screwed.
I completely agree with “I honestly believe that DC could have kept that up early.”, just that if he doesn’t put Stipe away he could be really drained. Even if the takedowns are coming easy, the groundwork, as you said, is taxing. It’s usually going to be more energy efficient to be fighting standing and unconnected to your opponent. Stipe has a way lower BMI and at least looks to be better built for endurance.
Good stuff.
IMO, DC needs to make three big adjustments:
(1) Wrestle much more.
(2) Utilize his good leg kick game much more.
And, most important to our discussion:
(3) Not try to KO Stipe. His belief that he could KO Stipe is, IMO, what led to him gassing.
I think their third fight is the most compelling fight that can be made right now. Part of me really wants to see it but I’m also slightly ashamed to admit that part of me doesn’t want it to happen as I like Stipe better than DC and I’m really happy about their last fight. If I was DC or his coach I think that I would do everything the same as the first fight but focus on cardio and on defense/counterattacks for the left hook to the body.
One of the reasons the fight would be great would be to see what adjustments both fighters make.
Ithink DC is right. He would have beaten Stipe if he hadn't fought like a retard. If they fight again and he fights to his strengths I think he will win.
If there’s a third fight I think that Stipe needs to do more lateral movement than in the first fight and see if he can start landing the left hook to the body early on, but at the same time realize that DC will know that it’s coming, so get the body shot going early but don’t rush it or telegraph it too much. And figure out a way to deal with DC’s collar tie/dirty boxing other than just being a tough bastard.
Tim Duncan -Ithink DC is right. He would have beaten Stipe if he hadn't fought like a retard. If they fight again and he fights to his strengths I think he will win.
He beat the shit out of Stipe but Stipe was tough enough to take it, and then DC got a little tired and Stipe figured he could tee up DC’s liver like he was a heavy bag.
DC did him dirty. Why do you think that he is out right now? His eyes were poked hard in both eyes!
This is why I can’t stand too much DC. He is too conceited. He’s just saying this because his weakness (fatass) was there all the time. I don’t know if the other fighters thought that he was like Roy Nelson. Nelson took all kinds of punches and kicks to his fat belly and they just bounced off of it.
DC isn’t like that. He is soft. Strong dude but still fat. As soon as Stipe started smacking DC in his fat stomach, the downfall came. DC against the cage getting battered. I’ll bet that Gus and Rumble wish that they went after the soft white underbelly (™?BOC) when they fought him. I think that unless DC gets serious and stops eating like a pig and works to strengthen up his core, Stipe will beat him the same way again. And we KNOW that pre-retirement DC ain’t doing that. He’s in denial as usual. A great natural fighter like Nelson but,also like Nelson he is a fat ass who would’ve even went further if he would’ve taken his body seriously.
2 Likes
DC took Jones' strat in the first fight and eyepoked him then KO'd him when he couldn't see
Stipe picked him apart in the second fight then KO’d him in the 4th
wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -TheGrandConjuration -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.
Thanks for the reply!
Maybe I’m just saying the same thing from a slightly different angle but I think that any plan that’s good for two rounds, even if it has a good chance of finishing the fight begs the question, “But where does this leave me if I’m unable to finish the fight?”. If the question is “Where does it leave me (DC) if I box and dirty box and I’m unable to put Stipe away?”, then I think the answer could reasonable be, “With less energy than I had in the first round but with enough to mount some good offense and defense.”. DC might have though that the answer to, “What if I wrestle Stipe and beat him up from top position?”, the answer might have been, “Possibly a huffing and puffing sitting duck in rounds 4 and 5.”
Where do I end up if plan A fails? I really need to re-watch DC/Stipe 2 but I think I recall DC looking tired in the 3rd round. DC had been the aggressor and he hadn’t done a ton of wrestling. Those are sort of optimal facts for DC. You would assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he had done more wrestling, and you’d assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he’d been the nail instead of the hammer for most of the fight up until that point (though it’s also very common for fighters in both MMA and boxing to tire themselves out with their output). Basically, The first half of the fight went DC’s way and he didn’t wrestle that much and he was still tired. Does it make sense to wrestle more? Sure, maybe more wrestling could have helped him to close the deal and stop Stipe but if the wrestling allowed him to mount a lot of great offense but not put Stipe away then Cormier could have been really screwed.
I completely agree with “I honestly believe that DC could have kept that up early.”, just that if he doesn’t put Stipe away he could be really drained. Even if the takedowns are coming easy, the groundwork, as you said, is taxing. It’s usually going to be more energy efficient to be fighting standing and unconnected to your opponent. Stipe has a way lower BMI and at least looks to be better built for endurance.
Good stuff.
IMO, DC needs to make three big adjustments:
(1) Wrestle much more.
(2) Utilize his good leg kick game much more.
And, most important to our discussion:
(3) Not try to KO Stipe. His belief that he could KO Stipe is, IMO, what led to him gassing.
Agree 100% on point 3. He got tired throwing bomb after bomb.
He was fucking Stipe up first couple rounds. Really beating the shit out of him.
He shouldn’t try to land a homerun KO. Let it happen if it is going to happen. Fight at a decent pace and just throw regular strikes. Mix in some wrestling. Don’t get sloppy and careless.
DC almost also lost that last minute fight to Anderson Silva from a crescent kick to that stomach. Well.. shouldn't say almost.. nothing happened in the fight outside of that.
CMFanforlife -DC did him dirty. Why do you think that he is out right now? His eyes were poked hard in both eyes!
This is why I can’t stand too much DC. He is too conceited. He’s just saying this because his weakness (fatass) was there all the time. I don’t know if the other fighters thought that he was like Roy Nelson. Nelson took all kinds of punches and kicks to his fat belly and they just bounced off of it.
DC isn’t like that. He is soft. Strong dude but still fat. As soon as Stipe started smacking DC in his fat stomach, the downfall came. DC against the cage getting battered. I’ll bet that Gus and Rumble wish that they went after the soft white underbelly (™?BOC) when they fought him. I think that unless DC gets serious and stops eating like a pig and works to strengthen up his core, Stipe will beat him the same way again. And we KNOW that pre-retirement DC ain’t doing that. He’s in denial as usual. A great natural fighter like Nelson but,also like Nelson he is a fat ass who would’ve even went further if he would’ve taken his body seriously.
This is a great post.
I kid, of course.
TexDeuce -wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -Canooke -wiggum -TheGrandConjuration -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.
Thanks for the reply!
Maybe I’m just saying the same thing from a slightly different angle but I think that any plan that’s good for two rounds, even if it has a good chance of finishing the fight begs the question, “But where does this leave me if I’m unable to finish the fight?”. If the question is “Where does it leave me (DC) if I box and dirty box and I’m unable to put Stipe away?”, then I think the answer could reasonable be, “With less energy than I had in the first round but with enough to mount some good offense and defense.”. DC might have though that the answer to, “What if I wrestle Stipe and beat him up from top position?”, the answer might have been, “Possibly a huffing and puffing sitting duck in rounds 4 and 5.”
Where do I end up if plan A fails? I really need to re-watch DC/Stipe 2 but I think I recall DC looking tired in the 3rd round. DC had been the aggressor and he hadn’t done a ton of wrestling. Those are sort of optimal facts for DC. You would assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he had done more wrestling, and you’d assume he’d have less gas in the tank if he’d been the nail instead of the hammer for most of the fight up until that point (though it’s also very common for fighters in both MMA and boxing to tire themselves out with their output). Basically, The first half of the fight went DC’s way and he didn’t wrestle that much and he was still tired. Does it make sense to wrestle more? Sure, maybe more wrestling could have helped him to close the deal and stop Stipe but if the wrestling allowed him to mount a lot of great offense but not put Stipe away then Cormier could have been really screwed.
I completely agree with “I honestly believe that DC could have kept that up early.”, just that if he doesn’t put Stipe away he could be really drained. Even if the takedowns are coming easy, the groundwork, as you said, is taxing. It’s usually going to be more energy efficient to be fighting standing and unconnected to your opponent. Stipe has a way lower BMI and at least looks to be better built for endurance.
Good stuff.
IMO, DC needs to make three big adjustments:
(1) Wrestle much more.
(2) Utilize his good leg kick game much more.
And, most important to our discussion:
(3) Not try to KO Stipe. His belief that he could KO Stipe is, IMO, what led to him gassing.
Agree 100% on point 3. He got tired throwing bomb after bomb.
He was fucking Stipe up first couple rounds. Really beating the shit out of him.
He shouldn’t try to land a homerun KO. Let it happen if it is going to happen. Fight at a decent pace and just throw regular strikes. Mix in some wrestling. Don’t get sloppy and careless.
Yeah.
I think that he probably underestimated Stipe’s chin. The first KO likely came because (1) he didn’t see it coming and (2) he wasn’t properly recovered from the Francis fight.
I like the people who cant differentiate between the stomach and liver. How can i hire you guys to do breakdowns for me ? The mma community needs you!
Stipe beats both currently though, plus Jon struggles bad against DC at HW imo
Connorwinztharematch -I like the people who cant differentiate between the stomach and liver. How can i hire you guys to do breakdowns for me ? The mma community needs you!
It reflects well on you that you like them even though you disagree with them.
MarcusAurelioFan -ShanTheMan -MarcusAurelioFan -TexDeuce -He's right.
Did ya see the first fight?
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.
Thats all true. I am just saying it wasnt Lewis instead of Stipe. He wouldn't fight Stipe with no training camp.
I think we kind of agree but just have differing opinions of DC