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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight “Skyscraper,” Stefan Struve, announced his retirement from mixed martial arts (MMA) in the wake of his submission win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC Prague back in February.
Then the towering Dutchman realized just how boring life can be with nothing to do but stare at the walls all day, particularly at age 31, and scrapped his short-lived retirement for an Octagon return later this year on ESPN.
“Looking back, I think I was just burnt out from all those years putting in hard work and not getting the results and going, and going, and going, so it came to that,” Struve told MMA Fighting. “I had a fighting burnt out. I enjoyed my time off, I worked on my house and spending a lot of time with my family and sleeping in and relaxing and just doing whatever I wanted. And after a while, I was getting annoyed with that.”
Struve (29-11) is scheduled to face fellow heavyweight veteran Ben Rothwell at the upcoming UFC on ESPN 7 event on Sat., Dec. 9, 2019 inside Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., a card headlined by Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris.
And yes, Struve knows you’ve been talking shit about his comeback.
“Things can change so fast. After a win, people say, ‘you’re the best,’ and want to see me fight Stipe Miocic again,” he continued. “And after a loss, ‘oh he’s the worst heavyweight ever blah blah blah.’ So I really don’t give a fuck, I don’t get paid to read those comments, so I’m just going to train, come in the best shape possible and win the fight. That’s how I make a living.”
Struve stopped Miocic by way of strikes back in late 2012.
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the veteran “Skyscraper,” thanks to a career filled with injuries, health scares, and untimely losses. But though it all, Struve also showed flashes of brilliance, keeping him on or around the heavyweight Top 10 for most of his run.
Anyone predicting a title run from Struve 2.0?