UFC 175 was supposed to be Stefan Struve’s triumphant return to the Octagon, but ultimately didn’t get that chance.
The No. 12-ranked heavyweight contender fainted backstage prior to his fight. Checked out by the medical staff, Struve was determined t…
UFC 175 was supposed to be Stefan Struve’s triumphant return to the Octagon, but ultimately didn’t get that chance.
The No. 12-ranked heavyweight contender fainted backstage prior to his fight. Checked out by the medical staff, Struve was determined to have an elevated heart rate, and the UFC made the decision to scratch the bout. The health of the fighters comes first.
Struve had been out of action since March 2013 following reports that he had a leaking aortic valve and enlarged heart. With an elevated heart rate Saturday night, it made the decision to cancel the bout easy.
The “Skyscraper” had worked hard to get back into fight shape, and once he was medically cleared, the UFC quickly booked him to fight Matt Mitrione on the UFC 175 card. It was a highly anticipated bout due to Struve’s comeback, and what implications it had on the heavyweight rankings.
Struve vs. Mitrione was slated to be the third bout on the main card.
UFC president Dana White spoke to the media on the floor at UFC 175 and suggested that Struve is believed to have suffered a panic attack, and they sent him to the hospital for precautionary reasons, according to Mike Chiappetta of Fox Sports:
The UFC released an official statement on the matter:
Stefan Struve suffered a non-life-threatening, near-fainting spell backstage. Afterwards, the medical team did not feel he was fit to compete. With his health and safety in mind, he’s been removed from the card and is currently under the care of the medical staff. We will provide further updates as they become available.
Mitrione also issued a brief statement in regard to Struve and the canceled bout:
“I found out what happened and went to talk to Stefan. He was still in his chair and was very apologetic. He’s such a competitor. Obviously health and safety come first.”
There is no further word on Struve’s heart condition, or what is next for him or Mitrione. One can only hope that this is nothing serious, and we will see Struve back competing sooner rather than later.
Stefan Struve, the No. 12-ranked contender in the heavyweight division, will return to action on Saturday after a health scare.
The 7-footer is coming back after more than a year. He was sidelined with a leaking aortic valve (via MMAFighting.com. …
Stefan Struve, the No. 12-ranked contender in the heavyweight division, will return to action on Saturday after a health scare.
The 7-footer is coming back after more than a year. He was sidelined with a leaking aortic valve (via MMAFighting.com. He takes on Matt Mitrione in an attempt to become a feel good story and begin working his way back up the UFC rankings.
The question is: Can he become a top-five level fighter?
I believe so.
Let’s start with his skills. Struve is a talented grappler who has developed his striking. His jiu-jitsu is good with his long limbs being a valuable asset. His striking has evolved, and he has shown the ability to utilize his reach effectively.
Struve has four submissions inside the Octagon to his credit, but his most notable win to date is a TKO victory over StipeMiocic. Since losing that fight to Struve, Miocic has reeled off three straight wins and is currently ranked as the No. 6 contender in the division.
The biggest reason Struve can make his way up the heavyweight ladder and re-institute himself as a top contender is that the division lacks depth.
Fighters who are well past their prime and are on skids are still ranked in the top 15. Frank Mir, Alistair Overeem and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira still have a presence in the rankings. Only Nogueira is ranked below Struve. Josh Barnett is ranked as the No. 5 contender.
It is not an indictment that the division is weak but that it is stagnant with the same fighters of yesteryear.
If Struve can return with a win against Mitrione, it will put him back in the win column and make him a winner of five of his last six bouts. It would be hard to deny he is a top-10 heavyweight even with a year away from the sport.
With a thin division, it provides fighters with a quicker path up the rankings, and they can shift dramatically with topnotch performances.
Struve is still only 26 years of age. He is a young fighter that has been developing his skills. His five years as a UFC fighter may make it seem like he is an aging veteran, but he is not. There is still a lot of upside for the rangy fighter.
If the heavyweight division was littered with athletes like featherweight and lightweight, it may be harder for Struve to crack the top five, but many fighters in the division are lumbering heavy-hitters with not much more to offer. Struve is an athlete that can make noise.
If Struve hopes to make a run, he will have to show it on Saturday.
How does he look following the health scare, and how much have his skills sharpened while he was away? Those are the two biggest questions for Struve to answer at UFC 175. If he is able to put Mitrione away efficiently, he will re-open the eyes of the voters.
Can Struve make a run up the ladder? Absolutely he can.
Stefan Struve, the No. 12-ranked contender in the heavyweight division, will return to action on Saturday after a health scare.
The 7-footer is coming back after more than a year. He was sidelined with a leaking aortic valve (via MMAFighting.com. …
Stefan Struve, the No. 12-ranked contender in the heavyweight division, will return to action on Saturday after a health scare.
The 7-footer is coming back after more than a year. He was sidelined with a leaking aortic valve (via MMAFighting.com. He takes on Matt Mitrione in an attempt to become a feel good story and begin working his way back up the UFC rankings.
The question is: Can he become a top-five level fighter?
I believe so.
Let’s start with his skills. Struve is a talented grappler who has developed his striking. His jiu-jitsu is good with his long limbs being a valuable asset. His striking has evolved, and he has shown the ability to utilize his reach effectively.
Struve has four submissions inside the Octagon to his credit, but his most notable win to date is a TKO victory over StipeMiocic. Since losing that fight to Struve, Miocic has reeled off three straight wins and is currently ranked as the No. 6 contender in the division.
The biggest reason Struve can make his way up the heavyweight ladder and re-institute himself as a top contender is that the division lacks depth.
Fighters who are well past their prime and are on skids are still ranked in the top 15. Frank Mir, Alistair Overeem and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira still have a presence in the rankings. Only Nogueira is ranked below Struve. Josh Barnett is ranked as the No. 5 contender.
It is not an indictment that the division is weak but that it is stagnant with the same fighters of yesteryear.
If Struve can return with a win against Mitrione, it will put him back in the win column and make him a winner of five of his last six bouts. It would be hard to deny he is a top-10 heavyweight even with a year away from the sport.
With a thin division, it provides fighters with a quicker path up the rankings, and they can shift dramatically with topnotch performances.
Struve is still only 26 years of age. He is a young fighter that has been developing his skills. His five years as a UFC fighter may make it seem like he is an aging veteran, but he is not. There is still a lot of upside for the rangy fighter.
If the heavyweight division was littered with athletes like featherweight and lightweight, it may be harder for Struve to crack the top five, but many fighters in the division are lumbering heavy-hitters with not much more to offer. Struve is an athlete that can make noise.
If Struve hopes to make a run, he will have to show it on Saturday.
How does he look following the health scare, and how much have his skills sharpened while he was away? Those are the two biggest questions for Struve to answer at UFC 175. If he is able to put Mitrione away efficiently, he will re-open the eyes of the voters.
Can Struve make a run up the ladder? Absolutely he can.
Heart-wrenching news is coming out regarding UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve. On UFC Tonight, the 25 year-old UFC veteran announced that his MMA career is at risk of a terribly abrupt ending.
His manager released a statement, some of which is excerpted b…
Heart-wrenching news is coming out regarding UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve. On UFC Tonight, the 25 year-old UFC veteran announced that his MMA career is at risk of a terribly abrupt ending.
His manager released a statement, some of which is excerpted below (the full press release can be seen here):
Stefan Struve has recently been diagnosed with a leaking aortic valve and an enlarged heart and was hospitalized for a week to undergo testing to determine the best course of treatment…
At the direction of his doctors, Stefan has now been released from the hospital and has resumed light cardiovascular exercise. Stefan fully appreciates the significance of the condition he has been diagnosed with, however, he is optimistic about the eventual outcome and fully plans on living a long, healthy, active, happy life and eventually returning to competition in the octagon for his quest to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion…
Struve has been fighting with the UFC since 2009. During that time, he has amassed a respectable 9-4 record. The 6’11” Dutchman has long flirted with title contender status, but most recently suffered a lopsided knockout loss to Pride veteran Mark Hunt. Impressively, only one of his 13 UFC fights have gone to a decision.
“Skyscraper” has long been a key component in the middle of the UFC’s heavyweight roster. He has been a steady presence to filter out lesser competitors, beating the likes of Lavar Johnson, Pat Barry and Paul Buentello. However, he has traditionally struggled with true contenders, suffering losses to Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson, Travis Browne and Hunt.
An enlarged heart is a serious medical concern for athletes. According to USA Today, every year 125 athletes under age 35 die suddenly from complications stemming from the condition. It is worth pointing out, however, that this does not completely ruin Struve‘s career; both these conditions are treatable.
Even so, this development will keep him out of the cage for the foreseeable future. The condition is serious and, as his manager points out, he is taking his doctors’ advice seriously.
Hopefully Struve is able to recover fairly quickly. Keep an eye out for more developments as they become available.
It’s time to step into the Octagon for the second time in two weeks, as we take a look back at the UFC’s latest trip to my homeland for their latest Fuel TV show, shown live this past Saturday night on ESPN here in Britain. The broadcast be…
It’s time to step into the Octagon for the second time in two weeks, as we take a look back at the UFC’s latest trip to my homeland for their latest Fuel TV show, shown live this past Saturday night on ESPN here in Britain.
The broadcast began with welterweight action as Che Mills went up against Duane Ludwig.
This one didn’t last long, but what we saw was pretty encouraging and pretty good.
Mills took the fight to the ground early on with a nice trip and his offense looked sound until Ludwig managed to get back to his feet. Mills soon took the fight back down, but after Ludwig scrambled up again his knee gave out.
Ludwig knew immediately that he was done and the referee quickly stepped in to give Mills the TKO win.
With some time to kill, it was on to filler material and the featherweight clash between Jason Young and Robbie Peralta.
This was quick. After the initial feeling out period, both fighters began to swing for the fences and when Peralta connected with a big right, Young went crashing. Peralta followed him down but it wasn’t long before the referee stopped the action, giving Peralta the knockout win.
Normal service resumed with more welterweight action as John Hathaway took on John Maguire.
This was the perfect example of how a fighter can use his size and reach advantage to good effect.
For almost three entire rounds Hathaway used the gifts that nature has given him to tremendous effect. Maguire just couldn’t handle Hathaway’s attack and although he managed to get in a few good shots he just couldn’t get the distance.
Hathaway’s striking was sound and effective and when he scored with a takedown in the second, his ground and pound also hit the spot.
Maguire’s best moment came when he scored with a takedown of his own late on, but with just over a minute left in the fight it was too little too late.
So with the fight going the distance it came as no surprise when the judges gave each and every round to Hathaway.
It was down to lightweight for the next fight as Paul Sass faced Matt Wiman.
Now this was good. Sass scored with the early takedown and went to work straight away, moving his man towards the fence and going for a variety of submissions.
But it wasn’t all one-way traffic. Wiman did an excellent job in countering Sass’ submission attempts with some attempts of his own and as the first round neared it’s final minute, Wiman locked in an armbar for the impressive submission win.
More filler material followed in the form of the catchweight encounter between DaMarques Johnson and Gunnar Nelson.
I’m glad they showed this one. Having seen a bit of Nelson in recent times, I was eager to see how he performed on the big stage.
He didn’t disappoint. He opened his UFC career with a big head kick, scoring with a takedown moments later, and although Johnson went for a couple of submissions, Nelson dominated. It wasn’t long before Nelson took his man’s back, taking the submission win with a rear naked choke.
Normal service resumed again with bantamweight action as Brad Pickett took on Yves Jabouin.
Can I use my now this was good line again? I’m going to anyway, because this was a great back and forth striking battle.
Both guys had their moments throughout, and if truth be known Jabouin looked the better of the two fighters.
That was until Pickett lived up to his nickname and dropped Jabouin with just one shot, a right uppercut. Pickett followed him down briefly until the referee stepped in to give One Punch the knockout win.
Then it was back to welterweight as hometown boy Dan Hardy faced AmirSadollah.
This proved to be one of those very intriguing battles. The emotion of the occasion looked like it got to Hardy in the first round as Sadollah looked the better of the two fighters, but as soon as the second round began Hardy managed to impose his will on the fight.
Everything he did looked good, from his striking to his takedowns, he more or less dominated, opening up a couple of nasty cut’s on Sadollah‘s face, and although Sadollah was always on the look out for a submission off his back, Hardy was always one step ahead of him.
The only thing missing was a finish, which meant more work for the judges as all three scored in favour of Hardy, much to the delight of the hometown fans.
The main event featured heavyweight action as Stefan Struve went up against StipeMiocic.
For a main event this wasn’t too bad. Miocic took control early on, using some good foot work to get inside Struve so he could connect with some hard body shots.
It looked as if Miocic was executing the perfect game plan when the big Dutchman was having trouble finding the distance.
But as soon as the second round began Struve finally went to work, and although Miocic still managed to get in a few good shots, particularly to the body, Struve repaid him in kind. Miocic was on rubber legs when Struve connected with an uppercut that more or less ended things. Miocicdidn’t go down and it took a referee stoppage to give Struve the TKO win.
In conclusion – looks like they’ve done it again.
The UFC’s latest trip to merry old England certainly delivered some quality fights filled with great action, and although it was a night of mixed fortunes as far as the British fighters were concerned, it didn’t detract from what was a great show.
As for my fight of the night, while the experts went for the Struve/Miocic encounter, yours truly is going out of the box a little by giving my prestigious no-prize to Gunnar Nelson and DaMarques Johnson for Nelson’s outstanding performance.
So with all of that out of the way let’s wrap this thing up by giving the UFC’s latest Fuel TV show the big thumbs up.
Don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com. It’s been online in one form or another for over 12 years and contains articles, reviews, fiction, personal journals and more.
Stefan Struve is one of the most physically gifted heavyweight fighters in the UFC, but will his young age wind up hurting him in the long run?When you break it down, it’s really a question of how quickly and efficiently Struve can develop his sta…
Stefan Struve is one of the most physically gifted heavyweight fighters in the UFC, but will his young age wind up hurting him in the long run?
When you break it down, it’s really a question of how quickly and efficiently Struve can develop his stand-up game. He might have a good chin, but right now, there’s no telling whether it’ll get more or less resilient to the shots he’s been taking in his fights.
Unlike most skills in mixed martial arts, a strong chin isn’t something you can develop or train—you either have it or you don’t.
That’s been a consistent factor with many MMA fighters who either suffer lots of knockout loses or rarely go down to strikes.
But one thing that can happen to a strong chin is deterioration.
Like a stone getting shaved down by the elements over time, a fighter who continually takes shots to the head can end up having a chin that goes from granite to cookie dough. Just look at Andrei Arlovski, Keith Jardine or Chuck Liddell.
For Struve, the problem is that he started MMA at such a young age in the biggest division possible.
Considering his athletic history, the issue becomes even more pronounced.
Struve played football in his early childhood and made his amateur MMA debut at 16 years old. From his early string of submission wins over the years (most of them ending in the first round), it seems that Struve smartly used his massive size to snare and finish opponents quickly.
But ever since entering the UFC, Struve has suffered three brutal knockout losses, with many of his other fights turning into flinch-worthy wars of attrition.
Granted, Struve survives these wars more often than not.
But there’s still an overhanging truth in all of this—Struve is still incredibly young to be taking such punishment in his fighting career, and he shouldn’t have to do so.
If Jon Jones can keep opponents from getting to him at 6’4″ with 84.5 inches of reach, most heavyweights shouldn’t be able to get inside on the “The Skyscraper”—a monstrous 7’0” giant carrying the same wingspan—with such consistency.
Unless Stefan Struve learns how to better protect his chin, there’s a legitimate risk that he’ll start getting put to sleep in situations where he merely gets stunned. Hopefully, someone teaches him how—before it’s too late.
[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]
UFC 175 was supposed to be Stefan Struve’s triumphant return to the Octagon, but ultimately didn’t get that chance.