(Demetrious Johnson had never seen a giraffe in person before this photo was taken. He still hasn’t, but don’t tell him that.)
Despite being a relatively humble guy by fighter’s standards, Stefan Struve isn’t afraid to make a bold statement every now and again. Or in today’s case, a couple obvious ones. First, Struve spoke to UFC.com about his upcoming UFC on FUEL 8 tilt with PRIDE legend Mark Hunt (check out an awesome promo for the event here). After making such straightforward statements as “[Hunt] will not try and take me down” and “I’m fine when I keep my distance,” Struve ended the interview by declaring that “I’m not a boy among men anymore, you know? Now I’m a 265-pound, seven-foot monster.” Which is fine, until you see how he made that statement.
One thing’s for sure, it will be interesting to see how Struve is accepted by the people of Japan, who have a somewhat rocky history with creatures his size.
After the jump: Struve makes some more obvious statements about the implications of a win on Saturday. What do you mean it’s a slow news day?
Speaking of obvious revelations, Struve recently spoke to MMAFighting about where he believed a win this weekend would place him on the list of contenders in the heavyweight division. The Dutchman was both confident and competent in his analysis of his situation:
When I win this fight, and I finish this fight yet again, then I’m on a five-fight win streak with five finishes in the heavyweight division. Nobody else in the heavyweight division is on a five-fight win streak. I think I have a pretty strong bid to call myself No. 1 contender.
While Struve has’t exactly been knocking off world-beaters in his current four fight win streak, his TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC on FUEL 5 showcased a smarter, more disciplined version of Stefan Struve. Or at least one that wouldn’t leap face first into the fists of his opponents. And like Struve said, he’s riding a win streak that no other heavyweight in the division can claim at the moment.
In either case, when you combine Struve’s ever-improving striking with his already stellar ground game, it’s hard to deny that he could pose a legitimate threat to whomever emerges victorious from the Cain Velasquez/Bigfoot Silva rematch at UFC 160. We’re just kidding, Velasquez is going to treat Silva like a turtle in Cannibal Holocaust come May 25th. Again. Would anyone like to see Struve get a crack at him next?
