May 7, 2015
I was lucky enough to have a conversation with Joe Delguyd, boxing coach at Cleveland's Strong Style MMA, on the latest episode of Heavy Hands. Strong Style hosts a number of high-level UFC fighters, among them heavyweight Stipe Miocic and bantamweight Jessica Eye, for whom Delguyd has very high hopes.
When it comes to Ronda Rousey, the current champion in Eye's division, Delguyd has no delusions about her finishing ability. "Once . . . your hip meets her hip, it's goodnight, adios amigo. [To beat her] somebody is gonna have to give her a tremendous amount of movement . . . maybe make her reach, maybe make her make mistakes, maybe use the jab to punish her a little, swell her up . . . Maybe even be Mayweather-ish, you know? Don't be so fan-friendly . . .The girl that has that particular skillset is in our house."
"I have all the confidence in the world in [Jessica Eye]. Everybody else in the world is coming straight in, and [an out-boxing style] is the specific skillset, and she has that specific skillset."
One of Delguyd's other fighters is Stipe Miocic, who is set to face Mark Hunt in the main event of UFC Adelaide this weekend.
"I've watched Mark Hunt since he was in K-1 fifteen years ago," Delguyd said. "People see Mark Hunt and they see an older fat guy. But he maintains that . . . short, punching power . . . But Stipe has all the long tools. I think what we're gonna see . . . is Stipe use the jab and straight right hand at long range. He's gonna use angles, and I don't think Mark Hunt is gonna be able to find him with those short power shots.