Name one fighter that Stipe has fought that is an elite wrestler like DC?

[demaryiustargaryan96]

DC was outwrestled by a junior college bum

 

[Clear Winner]

Highly disagree.
Funny that you mentioned Lesnar because every analyst who follow and understands wrestling that i've seen write about him said pretty much the same thing: he wasn't very technical, he always relied on his athleticism and size advantages on his wrestling days, and these are attributes that Blaydes also has, but different from Lesnar, Blaydes is probably clean. Blaydes is just a naturally bigger guy and he's probably more talented and more technical than Lesnar ever was. As far as wrestling in MMA goes, Blaydes is a elite wrestler, definitely.

Doesn't matter if it was because it was because of Brock's size or not, Karelin was huge too, doesn't mean he wasn't elite.

DC, Cejudo and Romero, wrestling Olympians and all elite. You can't go throwing Blaydes in there because he's outwrestled some non wrestlers.

He could well be elite, but right now it's just conjecture. Jones was only JUCO champ, but proved he was elite by outwrestling Bader, Chael and DC. Until Blaydes does something similar, he's merely an accomplished wrestler.

Stipe has more wrestling credentials than Blaydes and you can see the difference in how they both dealt with Ngannou. Yes, Blaydes had evolved since then, but who has he fought to prove that he is an elite wrestler?

 

[executionermma]

Doesn't matter if it was because it was because of Brock's size or not, Karelin was huge too, doesn't mean he wasn't elite.

DC, Cejudo and Romero, wrestling Olympians and all elite. You can't go throwing Blaydes in there because he's outwrestled some non wrestlers.

He could well be elite, but right now it's just conjecture. Jones was only JUCO champ, but proved he was elite by outwrestling Bader, Chael and DC. Until Blaydes does something similar, he's merely an accomplished wrestler.

Stipe has more wrestling credentials than Blaydes and you can see the difference in how they both dealt with Ngannou. Yes, Blaydes had evolved since then, but who has he fought to prove that he is an elite wrestler?

Oh, dude. What a stupid comparison. Obviously Karelin was huge, but he was also VERY technical, he is the king of throws and that's not something you can get ONLY with physical advantages. There's many beasts who are enormous like Taha Akgul and Geno Petriashvili but they also bring technique aspects of wrestling, and i'm no fan of that discipline, but every single one wrestling enthusiast i've seen talk about it had some negative things to say about Lesnar's game.

Let's be clear here: what we mean by "elite"? To me it means that he has some of the best wrestling of the sport in HIS weight class, and that's the case. There aren't even 3 guys at heavyweight with better wrestling than Blaydes, so yeah he's elite. Who has he fought? Well, he dominated Hunt with just as much ease as Lesnar did, that R3 was very ugly to a Mark Hunt fan as myself. Dominated Overeem in a way no one has been able to, as a wrestler. Wrestled just fine Oleinik, too. Seriously, look at how many suplex throws he got in his career against heavyweights, that's not something you can get just being a big guy, he had many against Hunt, some against Milstead, some before UFC etc

 

[DragRacer]

I agree 100 with you about guys that were studs in the pure wrestling circuit , that didn’t parlay that same level of success to the octagon.

The Rosholt brothers, Joe Warren are a few that come immediately to mind. There tons of others I’m sure.

However, DC is one of the shining stars of MMA wrestling IMO. His ability to adapt his wrestling skill set to MMA is as good as it gets, only Jones was able to give him any trouble in that department. The grapple rape he put on Henderson was particularly impressive.

Stipe doesn’t hold a candle to DC in the wrestling credentials dept , but he’s definitely got a well developed skill set there, so I’m not sure if that’s the area DC is going to try and pick him apart.

Skill wise, DC is probably just a touch better everywhere than Stipe so he’s probably just going to throw the whole menu at him and hope that his cardio can outlast Stipe as the damage accrues.

Stipe has great striking, but in a pure points kickboxing match, I think I’d favor DC, with the power edge however definitely favoring Stipe, and the obvious reach.

Stipe has great MMA wrestling , but in a pure grappling match , I think I’d favor DC, being shorter, thicker, the same weight, and definitely more credentialed.

However in a 5 rd UFC matchup , I definitely am favoring Stipe (admittedly biased) due to being younger, definitely the harder hitter, and having a skill set that’s close enough to DCs strengths
to render them neutral, while still being able to make use of his clear reach and power advantages.

I also agree that it sucks that one of them has to take an L, as they’re both great champions and seemingly quality human beings.
However that’s part of what makes the fight so compelling... I can’t wait.

As much as I love DC, I'm not putting too much stock on credentials when it comes to mma wrestling. We've seen on way too many occasions in the past that if a guy is a decorated wrestler, it doesn't automatically make him a world beater. We have seen some NCAA champions and Olympic level wrestlers being stuffed and taken down by far lesser decorated wrestlers.

GSP made a career of it, Aldo made a career of it, Jones was able to stifle DC using leverage and length to his fullest.

This is why this fight is intriguing. I hate that one of these dudes has to lose.

 

[Alpha_T83]

On paper DC was twice the wrestler as Jon Jones also and it didn't work out too well for him. I like DC and don't think he gets near the hespect he deserves but I think he's gonna get KTFO.

Yea but that's a huge exception. Everyone knows that Jon Jones and GSP have good MMA wrestling. GSP doesn't really have any formal wrestling experience beyond high school, if I remember correctly. Some people are just naturally talented wrestlers, and others earn it through years of hard work and sacrifice. GSP and Jones are the former, and Cormier/Couture are the latter.

 

[WARinsertname]

I agree 100 with you about guys that were studs in the pure wrestling circuit , that didn’t parlay that same level of success to the octagon.

The Rosholt brothers, Joe Warren are a few that come immediately to mind. There tons of others I’m sure.

However, DC is one of the shining stars of MMA wrestling IMO. His ability to adapt his wrestling skill set to MMA is as good as it gets, only Jones was able to give him any trouble in that department. The grapple rape he put on Henderson was particularly impressive.

Stipe doesn’t hold a candle to DC in the wrestling credentials dept , but he’s definitely got a well developed skill set there, so I’m not sure if that’s the area DC is going to try and pick him apart.

Skill wise, DC is probably just a touch better everywhere than Stipe so he’s probably just going to throw the whole menu at him and hope that his cardio can outlast Stipe as the damage accrues.

Stipe has great striking, but in a pure points kickboxing match, I think I’d favor DC, with the power edge however definitely favoring Stipe, and the obvious reach.

Stipe has great MMA wrestling , but in a pure grappling match , I think I’d favor DC, being shorter, thicker, the same weight, and definitely more credentialed.

However in a 5 rd UFC matchup , I definitely am favoring Stipe (admittedly biased) due to being younger, definitely the harder hitter, and having a skill set that’s close enough to DCs strengths
to render them neutral, while still being able to make use of his clear reach and power advantages.

I also agree that it sucks that one of them has to take an L, as they’re both great champions and seemingly quality human beings.
However that’s part of what makes the fight so compelling... I can’t wait.

But then again, look at the men he has had most trouble with in grappling. Tall rangy fighters with great takedown defense. Who also knew how to use distance and leverage against the short bulldozers like Cormier.

This isn't detracting from his abilities as a grappler, but Stipe can use his length quite well and moves well. The first round will dictate the fight, if Stipe can successfully move away or stuff him repeatedly...It will look like the Gus and Jones fights except more brutal...Given the heavyweight power Stipe possesses.

Another thing to take into account is that Stipe knows how to use his length...He can throw punches. He won't need to poke at DC's eyes to stiffle his advances.(See Bones)

He needs to get inside...Push to the cage...And grind the ever loving fuck out of Stipe. I don't see another way he gets this. His boxing and kicking game aren't going to be enough to deal with Stipe'd movement and length. He needs to get rid of the advantage from the start.

 

[DragRacer]

You’re right , uppercuts and body shots from the inside is a way to drain Stipe’s “good but not great” cardio.

But other than Jones, who would you say DC has had trouble with in grappling? Gus maybe?

But then again, look at the men he has had most trouble with in grappling. Tall rangy fighters with great takedown defense. Who also knew how to use distance and leverage against the short bulldozers like Cormier.

This isn't detracting from his abilities as a grappler, but Stipe can use his length quite well and moves well. The first round will dictate the fight, if Stipe can successfully move away or stuff him repeatedly...It will look like the Gus and Jones fights except more brutal...Given the heavyweight power Stipe possesses.

Another thing to take into account is that Stipe knows how to use his length...He can throw punches. He won't need to poke at DC's eyes to stiffle his advances.(See Bones)

He needs to get inside...Push to the cage...And grind the ever loving fuck out of Stipe. I don't see another way he gets this. His boxing and kicking game aren't going to be enough to deal with Stipe'd movement and length. He needs to get rid of the advantage from the start.

 

[chinarice]

It's impossible. I think the wrestling is gonna play a huge part in the fight.

Stipe is an NCAA Div 1 wrassler, but there's a big difference between Div 1, and Olympic level wrasslin.

DC by Decision.

Can you name more than 1 fighter from 205-265 that is a better MMA wrestler than DC other than maybe Jon Jones? I don't think there is.

 

[Final Say]

I agree 100 with you about guys that were studs in the pure wrestling circuit , that didn’t parlay that same level of success to the octagon.

The Rosholt brothers, Joe Warren are a few that come immediately to mind. There tons of others I’m sure.

However, DC is one of the shining stars of MMA wrestling IMO. His ability to adapt his wrestling skill set to MMA is as good as it gets, only Jones was able to give him any trouble in that department. The grapple rape he put on Henderson was particularly impressive.

Stipe doesn’t hold a candle to DC in the wrestling credentials dept , but he’s definitely got a well developed skill set there, so I’m not sure if that’s the area DC is going to try and pick him apart.

Skill wise, DC is probably just a touch better everywhere than Stipe so he’s probably just going to throw the whole menu at him and hope that his cardio can outlast Stipe as the damage accrues.

Stipe has great striking, but in a pure points kickboxing match, I think I’d favor DC, with the power edge however definitely favoring Stipe, and the obvious reach.

Stipe has great MMA wrestling , but in a pure grappling match , I think I’d favor DC, being shorter, thicker, the same weight, and definitely more credentialed.

However in a 5 rd UFC matchup , I definitely am favoring Stipe (admittedly biased) due to being younger, definitely the harder hitter, and having a skill set that’s close enough to DCs strengths
to render them neutral, while still being able to make use of his clear reach and power advantages.

I also agree that it sucks that one of them has to take an L, as they’re both great champions and seemingly quality human beings.
However that’s part of what makes the fight so compelling... I can’t wait.

I think you'll be surprised by the way the striking plays out. D.C. is going to be in constant danger and the way he fights is going to reflect it, imo

 

[Melas Chasma]

Good thing DC has Top 5 GOAT chin

He got put to sleep by pillow fisted chicken legs Jones. His chin is not the same anymore.

 

[SiEdmondson]

I think all in all and everyones comments allude to this.....I cannot fucking wait for this fight, its possibly the most interesting and intriguing match ups in UFC history.....GTFO that dude the other day that said its not a super fight.....it has the chance to be an epic fight....although possibly not one for the casuals

 

[Melas Chasma]

DC was outwrestled by a junior college bum

He was also outwrestled by a lanky Swedish boxer.

 

[kevinramsdell]

This argument is irrelvant because I don't think there are even 2 or 3 OLYMPIC level wrestlers that fight at HW that have made it to the top 5 in the UFC HW rankings. So that argument is out the window. I think you are underestimating his wrestling ability tho. D1 wrestlers are no joke. Honestly don't think wrestling will play a factor in this fight anyway

It's impossible. I think the wrestling is gonna play a huge part in the fight.

Stipe is an NCAA Div 1 wrassler, but there's a big difference between Div 1, and Olympic level wrasslin.

DC by Decision.

 

[MPD-Psycho]

Cain Velasquez, oh wait...

 

[kevinramsdell]

On paper DC was twice the wrestler as Jon Jones also and it didn't work out too well for him. I like DC and don't think he gets near the hespect he deserves but I think he's gonna get KTFO.

nice avi you fuckin loser

 

[DragRacer]

I hope you’re right because as much as I like Cormier, I hope Stipe wins.
But DC has got a hell of a team helping him prepare , so anything we think might happen, they’ve probably been running drills for a while on.

I think you'll be surprised by the way the striking plays out. D.C. is going to be in constant danger and the way he fights is going to reflect it, imo

 

[WARinsertname]

You’re right , uppercuts and body shots from the inside is a way to drain Stipe’s “good but not great” cardio.

But other than Jones, who would you say DC has had trouble with in grappling? Gus maybe?

Definitely Gus, he is underrated as hell in grappling.

 

[Squintz]

Doesn't matter if it was because it was because of Brock's size or not, Karelin was huge too, doesn't mean he wasn't elite.

DC, Cejudo and Romero, wrestling Olympians and all elite. You can't go throwing Blaydes in there because he's outwrestled some non wrestlers.

He could well be elite, but right now it's just conjecture. Jones was only JUCO champ, but proved he was elite by outwrestling Bader, Chael and DC. Until Blaydes does something similar, he's merely an accomplished wrestler.

Stipe has more wrestling credentials than Blaydes and you can see the difference in how they both dealt with Ngannou. Yes, Blaydes had evolved since then, but who has he fought to prove that he is an elite wrestler?

Its not “just conjecture”. It’s called “the eye test” and picking up on fighters skills/talent when you see them fight. Thing is most everyone has already caught on even before the Overeem fight and some before then as well.

This is how people predict the next big thing and hopefully make some money if they’re into placing wagers. Ain’t nobody got time to sit around and finally crown a guy AFTER it’s all said and done.

Just cause Blayde’s resume/credentials/background isn’t up to your standards doesn’t mean he’s not an elite wrestler. It’s not so much about who he hasn’t beaten (yet) but moreso the way he’s beaten the guys he’s beat.

Also, Stipe’s wrestling looked like shit against Ngannou. I like Ngannou (prob my fav HW currently) but Blaydes would run thru him in a rematch and put on a real wrestling clinic.

 

[MMAProfessional]

It's impossible. I think the wrestling is gonna play a huge part in the fight.

Stipe is an NCAA Div 1 wrassler, but there's a big difference between Div 1, and Olympic level wrasslin.

DC by Decision.

So you're asking us to name an Olympic level wrestler that he's faced? Makes sense since there is so many in the UFC.

 

[MusterX]

It's impossible. I think the wrestling is gonna play a huge part in the fight.

Stipe is an NCAA Div 1 wrassler, but there's a big difference between Div 1, and Olympic level wrasslin.

DC by Decision.

There is a big difference between Olympic wrestling and MMA wrestling. DC learned that the hard way against Jones. The fact that Stipe is NCAA Div 1 and DC is Olympic has no bearing on an MMA fight, well, very little bearing, because MMA wrestling is not the same and it doesn't always translate.