Stipe on the mend

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Hong Kong Phooey

Spreading The Coronavirus one Corona at a Time
Feb 12, 2015
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UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic doesn’t expect himself to be out of action for much longer.

Miocic told TMZ Sports that recovery from the eye injury he suffered in his rematch with Daniel Cormier at UFC 241 is progressing well. The injury was severe enough that Miocic had to undergo surgery following the August 2019 bout.

“The eye is really good actually,” Miocic said. “It’s getting healed up, getting better every day, and I’m just getting back in the gym slowly.”

“I still have some spots, that’s still there,” he later added. “But it can stay, it can go, it depends, but it’s not really messing with my vision so I’m happy about that.”

The 37-year-old is taking his time returning to training. He competed just once in 2019, defeating Cormier by fourth-round TKO to reclaim the heavyweight title that he lost to Cormier a year prior.

Given that Miocic was the victim of eye pokes in both of their encounters, he isn’t taking any chances.

“Just kind of making my way in there,” Miocic said when asked if he’d resumed sparring in the gym. “Just trying to get in better shape and know how my body feels and making sure my eyes feel good.”

Miocic said he is targeting a return in a few months with most of the heavyweight contenders already booked, mentioning the summer as a possibility. Unsurprisingly, he’s eyeing an oft-discussed trilogy bout with Cormier to settle the score.

“Yeah, if that’s what the UFC wants,” Miocic said of the Cormier matchup. “I’m not the matchmaker. Like I always say, if I was the matchmaker I wouldn’t be fighting.”

Cormier has been edging towards retirement though he recently missed his own self-imposed deadline when he turned 40 last March. The former two-division UFC champion successfully defended both the heavyweight and light heavyweight titles in 2018 and his win over Miocic in their first meeting snapped Miocic’s UFC record streak of three straight heavyweight championship defenses.

When discussing how he feels about being the one to send Cormier off, Miocic was succinct.

“It sucks, it sucks for him,” Miocic said. “He’s gonna lose again.”

Stipe Miocic: Eye injury ‘getting better,’ summer return a possibility

Stipe Miocic's Eye Is 'Really Good,' Targeting Summer Fight with Daniel Cormier
 

Shorinji

Intergalactic Destroyer of Souls
Oct 25, 2015
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DC is going to completely outclass Stipe in the rubber match IMO. He was winning the second fight handily on the feet until the odd mental lapse with the body shots, and Stipe had no answer whatsoever for Cormier's wrestling.

DC gonna make this look easy.
 
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BrunoMcGyver

Bruno no dey carry last
Dec 30, 2015
6,395
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DC is going to completely outclass Stipe in the rubber match IMO. He was winning the second fight handily on the feet until the odd mental lapse with the body shots, and Stipe had no answer whatsoever for Cormier's's wrestling.

DC gonna make this look easy.
You could very well be right, DC did dominate him with wrestling and all.

But how much can you really train your body to take punishment better? Imo if DC takes Miocic to the ground he needs to find a submission and find it early. I think if it goes past the 2nd round again it will go quite similar to rounds 3-4 of the last fight.
 

Sheepdog

Protecting America from excessive stool loitering
Dec 1, 2015
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You could very well be right, DC did dominate him with wrestling and all.

But how much can you really train your body to take punishment better? Imo if DC takes Miocic to the ground he needs to find a submission and find it early. I think if it goes past the 2nd round again it will go quite similar to rounds 3-4 of the last fight.
I agree with this. DC has always had a weakness to the body like Matt Brown. Look at the kick Silva landed that nearly killed DC - lands clean but it's an exhausted Silva throwing a poor technique, hardly full-force kick and DC reacts like he has been shot.

The way DC tries to avoid the Silva strike is also exactly how he got KOd by Jones. His defence is so poor, with his head leading in as he pushes his torso out with arms trying to catch the kick forward, because he is so desperate to avoid that body shot (I'm not the first guy to point this out by the way).





Stipe has cracked the code now. Cormier needs a quick finish or he is going to get broken down.
 

SuperPig

Enjoy yourselves
Aug 7, 2015
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I agree with this. DC has always had a weakness to the body like Matt Brown. Look at the kick Silva landed that nearly killed DC - lands clean but it's an exhausted Silva throwing a poor technique, hardly full-force kick and DC reacts like he has been shot.

The way DC tries to avoid the Silva strike is also exactly how he got KOd by Jones. His defence is so poor, with his head leading in as he pushes his torso out with arms trying to catch the kick forward, because he is so desperate to avoid that body shot (I'm not the first guy to point this out by the way).





Stipe has cracked the code now. Cormier needs a quick finish or he is going to get broken down.
Same weakness that his mini-me, Deron Winn, showed in his fight last week. Body shots on anyone is rough but they seem especially brutal on those doughy guys.
 

Rambo John J

Eats things that would make a Billy Goat Puke
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
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eye pokes should be automatic points
for DC
for Jon
for everyone
changes fights big time...DC poked Stipe 2-3 times shortly before he KOed him
A 10 point system and we only use 10-9s in 99% of rounds


I think Stipe is too much power for DC...DC took some shots to the head and they wore on him, then Stipe went body when he sensed weakness...then it was over
DC win was not as impressive as Stipe's IMO
 

Sheepdog

Protecting America from excessive stool loitering
Dec 1, 2015
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Same weakness that his mini-me, Deron Winn, showed in his fight last week. Body shots on anyone is rough but they seem especially brutal on those doughy guys.
I'm not sure it's entirely to do with 'dough' although it doesn't seem to help. Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson are pretty resilient to body shots, yet Cowboy doesn't take them well despite being fairly ripped. Brown is sort of the middle point - not jacked for a fighter but not exactly a fatass either.

Hunt did get KOd to the body by a prime Semmy Schilt in K1 with a beautiful spinning back kick but I'm not sure we can read anything into that because Semmy was twice Hunt's size and mauling everyone at the time.
 

sparkuri

Pulse On The Finger Of The Community
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Jan 16, 2015
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Stipe has never impressed me, at least as a Heavyweight Champion.
There are many, who even exhausted, would've adjusted between rounds to the telegraphed body shots Stipe landed & KO'd him over the top.
DC is capable, but still "Fedor old", literally.
3 1/2 years is quite a bit to overcome for most fighters hovering around 40.

That said, it's still an alluring matchup due to the history.
I'll be pulling for The Black Emperor to ride off into the sunset with a gold belt, but imo it's an uphill battle with Stipe still apparently holding that age-helping conditioning(and apparently coaching) advantage.

I'll wishfully hope DC stays away from Popeyes and approaches this like a professional, not relying on his skill and accolades at the expense of his conditioning.
 

Haulport

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes
First 100
Jan 17, 2015
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DC is going to completely outclass Stipe in the rubber match IMO. He was winning the second fight handily on the feet until the odd mental lapse with the body shots, and Stipe had no answer whatsoever for Cormier's wrestling.

DC gonna make this look easy.
Is there a "delusional" emoji?