How is Jones going to beat Stipe?

[Migdagen]

Stipe is 40 and Jones isn't.

DC knocked out Stipe, pretty sure that means Jones has the ability to do that, too.

Jones has never been beat. There's that, too.

I think Jones grappling and striking is superior to Stipe's. I think he beats him on any front.

Never been beat? You clearly haven't seen the fight where Jones gets his elbow destroyed from vicious headbutts from the bottom.

 

[GreenGorilla]

Yes. What people didn't forget is how Stipe overall rendered DC's wrestling useless. The olympian struggled to score takedowns and when he did get any he only gassed himself out while failling to keep Stipe down.

Stipe is a strong wrestler himself, he's not the type to get grapplefucked. Jones is gonna have to use his entire game to win this one.

I would definitely not compare that Version of DCs wrestling to the current Jon but at this point it is merely speculation the reality will be seen on Fight Night.

 

[TheBulge]

I would definitely not compare that Version of DCs wrestling to the current Jon but at this point it is merely speculation the reality will be seen on Fight Night.

We don't have to compare versions. You just went into casual mode thinking DC "outwrestled Stipe" because he picked him up and threw him down in a very flashy move which lead to nothing. It's alright, it happens.

 

[JarlSkuld]

Headkick.

Jarl

 

[GreenGorilla]

We don't have to compare versions. You just went into casual mode thinking DC "outwrestled Stipe" because he picked him up and threw him down in a very flashy move which lead to nothing. It's alright, it happens.

I didn't say he outwrestled him, I said he carried him around WWE style, was DC able to do anything close to that to Jones? DC fought like an idiot in the last 2 fights and Stipe punished him for it just like the first Francis fight but Jones was able to take down DC in their fights and Jones never fights like an idiot, some may even accuse him of fighting like a coward.

Stipe might make me eat crow I just see Jones not having as much problems as other people assume.

 

[Connection Lost]

I get the feeling Stipe doesn't train, like, at all. He really plays up the firefighter stuff and I'm betting he considers firefighter training to be sufficient for the UFC because it's worked so far. He's legitimately believed he's world champ material ever since his relatively lucky KO of Verdum. Which I loved.

 

[TheBulge]

I didn't say he outwrestled him, I said he carried him around WWE style, was DC able to do anything close to that to Jones? DC fought like an idiot in the last 2 fights and Stipe punished him for it just like the first Francis fight but Jones was able to take down DC in their fights and Jones never fights like an idiot, some may even accuse him of fighting like a coward.

Stipe might make me eat crow I just see Jones not having as much problems as other people assume.

Whatever Jones does, whether he manages to outwrestle Stipe or not, it will have nothing to do with whatever DC managed to do to Stipe in their fights in the wrestling department, which was pretty much nothing except for picking him up one time which impressed you so much.

was DC able to do anything close to that to Jones?

Actually yes, he did do something close to that to Jones, yes. That too lead to absolutely nothing.

DC picking people up is flashy but it hasn't lead to anything except for against Barnett and Gus(if I remember correctly).

 

[Rider on the Storm]

I get the feeling Stipe doesn't train, like, at all. He really plays up the firefighter stuff and I'm betting he considers firefighter training to be sufficient for the UFC because it's worked so far. He's legitimately believed he's world champ material ever since his relatively lucky KO of Verdum. Which I loved.

You would be wrong. We will see the biggest baddest Stipe if Jones ever signs the contract.

Jones knows what he is in for. Uneducated fans do not.

 

[Captain Herb]

Honestly I think it’s Jon’s fight to lose because of Stipe’s age and inactivity. This fight reminds me of an old Randy Couture fighting a younger Brock Leonard for some reason.

I can say this, Jon tends to run when he gets pressured. Reyes went forward and Jon got on his bicycle. I noticed the same when Santos took it to him. Jon never seems to stand his ground and return a bomb while retreating. Machida would do it a bunch, he would give ground only to allow his attacker to walk into a massive counter. It’s when his opponents slow down when he starts to pick them apart and eventually manhandle them. I think Stipe’s opportunities will be when Jon is going backwards. If he clinches or stands in front of Jon he’s a goner.

That all being said, Stipe is a great wrestler but I will guarantee Jones will be much stronger and better in the wrestling department. If he wrestles Jon, you will hear him retire in front of Joe Rogan during the post fight after being submitted stating, “I had no idea Jon was that strong.”

Yep, I've been saying for years you have to engage Jon, make him run backwards and then capitalize on that. Machida tried but Reyes put it together and won that fight no matter what the record says. Stipe could do the same thing potentially. I'd like to see him come in a little heavier for grappling because that's Jones' only game plan with anyone at HW.

 

[Captain Herb]

He's obviously older, and probably slowed.

But let's not also forget how shady Jones has looked, against Reyes and Santos, respectively.

I think Stipe would've FUBAR'd Reyes and Santos.
Jones barely escaped them both.

Yeah, he looked good against Gane, who has no wrestling.

But let's not pretend Jones is at his prime either. Recency bias makes Jones appear better than he is.

Forgetting Gane, he looked back at Jones last two fights ... and (forgetting Ngannou) if you look back the pace last two fights ... and compare them ...

If anything, Stipe has been performing at the higher level.

I think there's a lot of ifs on both sides. I'd still like to see this fight but I'd rather see Jones/Pavlovich

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

Writing Stipe off in a fight against Jones borders with casualness for me. It's funny how many people were proclaiming Miocic dead before he faced Ngannou the first time and that didn't happen. Then Stipe was also proclaimed done and shot, after DC finished him - but afterwards Stipe smashed DC two times in a row.

Miocic won't be taken down and submitted in 2 minutes like Gane. He is a hard hitting proper HW and the only one to eat clean punches from Ngannou and take the win, so Jones finishing him is not very likely. Could Jones win a decision? Possibly, but his last couple of fights against mediocre LHWs were a shitshow and Jones arguably lost one or both of them.

Stipe wins 49:46.

Jones wins by being the better fighter everywhere. If Stipe can last the first 3 rounds he will wilt after. He's too old at this point. The last time he looked good was against Ngannou five years ago. Even in the wins against DC he looked old, especially the second one.

 

[MMAK]

I was actually rooting for Jones first time against Gane (I don't care if you believe it or not), because I tend to root fighters I see as an underdogs. The older and more out of prime Jones gets, the more I root for him. It has happened to me with a lot of other fighters as well that I have disliked, once they have gotten old. I might root Jones against Stipe too, but currently I see it as a close fight. A lot of it depends how much Stipe has declined the past 2 years, and none of us can really know that, so its a big question mark.



He did look old, and clumsy on the feet against Gane, imo, just like I was expecting, and that's why I was rooting for him, because I was worried of him being in serious trouble on the feet once Gane gets comfortable, and I would still feel the same if they fought a second time. He's been out of his prime for a long time, and I genuinely don't understand his fans that don't see it just because he escaped some close decisions in his final fights at LHW. Those fights weren't "Jones just taking it easy", he is just not the same fighter anymore he once was.

Jones had advantage over Gane in their brief striking exchange. He looked faster than Gane.

 

[Tyr XIII]

Push him into his wheelchair and kick him out the cage

 

[Dr Guildo]

I expect Jon Jones to win by fighting EQ and good overall technique. In my mind Jon Jones is the favourite but Stipe might upset as he have done before.

 

[NoStoneUnturned]

I like Stipe. I don't like Jon Jones. Jon stays motivated and its nighty nighty for Stipe one way or another. It won't be as easy as Gane, no where close, but Jon is simply too much for older Stipe.

 

[Melas Chasma]

Jones had advantage over Gane in their brief striking exchange. He looked faster than Gane.

He is still slow. Jones was a relatively slow LHW who is now older and slower at HW. Stipe isn't fast either, though. The striking between Jones and Stipe is going to look as bad as in Werdum vs Cain fight, just for a bit different reasons. It will be embarrassing for the sport, two has beens fighting for the title instead of Palovitz vs Gannu.

 

[MMAK]

He is still slow. Jones was a relatively slow LHW who is now older and slower at HW. Stipe isn't fast either, though. The striking between Jones and Stipe is going to look as bad as in Werdum vs Cain fight, just for a bit different reasons. It will be embarrassing for the sport, two has beens fighting for the title instead of Palovitz vs Gannu.

He is still faster than a typical hw and and looked faster than at his late lhw.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

I get the feeling Stipe doesn't train, like, at all. He really plays up the firefighter stuff and I'm betting he considers firefighter training to be sufficient for the UFC because it's worked so far. He's legitimately believed he's world champ material ever since his relatively lucky KO of Verdum. Which I loved.

I think most MMA would agree he's at least champ material in the past anyway.

 

[JustBleed69]

Stipe will touch Jon with teh jab

 

[Squarechoke]

Stipe turns 41 this year and is clearly on the decline. Also Jones is the record holding PED cheater in the UFC. Two factors that point in a clear direction.