Tag: UFC on Fuel 5

Struve vs. Miocic: Fights to get Miocic Back on Track

Rising heavyweight Stipe Miocic suffered the first loss in his MMA career at the hands of Stefan Struve at UFC on Fuel TV.The 30-year-old Miocic was on a tear since entering the UFC, earning three consecutive victories against some pretty stiff competi…

Rising heavyweight Stipe Miocic suffered the first loss in his MMA career at the hands of Stefan Struve at UFC on Fuel TV.

The 30-year-old Miocic was on a tear since entering the UFC, earning three consecutive victories against some pretty stiff competition in Joey Beltran, Phil de Fries and Shane Del Rosario, but he wasn’t quite up to the task of beating a very game Struve.

Despite a great showing in the first round and a good overall effort, Struve was able to put Miocic away in the second round. However, this isn’t all bad for Miocic; sometimes a loss is what a fighter really needs to improve.

There’s no questioning Miocic‘s ability—he’s a well-rounded fighter who has a bright future in the UFC, but he’ll need a win in his next trip out if he wants to salvage the momentum he had going before this loss.

Here are three opponents for Miocic that would offer him a challenge and the opportunity to get back in the mix.

 

Shawn Jordan

Jordan entered the UFC with a bang, defeating heralded prospect Oli Thompson rather soundly by TKO in the second round.

Then he took a huge step up in competition, dropping an ugly bout with Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision.

Miocic took a similar step up in competition and took a loss much like Jordan did, so they find each other in similar situations. Jordan possesses great knockout power and would provide Miocic a winnable matchup that would test his chin.

Sounds like a good matchup for a fighter coming off a knockout loss.

 

Matt Mitrione

If the UFC is able to put together a catchweight bout between Mitrione and Rampage Jackson, disregard everything you are about to read.

If the UFC can’t or doesn’t want to make a match like that happen, then Stipe Miocic and Mitrione would be a nice substitute for fans.

Both guys have flashed some promise as newcomers to the sport and both are probably a little too long in the tooth to be considered “prospects” so why not have the two of them fight it out to see who remains relevant for a while longer?

 

Mike Russow

Russow recently suffered a momentum-killing first round loss to Fabricio Werdum by way of TKO, but before that he was busy pulling upset after upset in the UFC.

The hefty Russow is always fun to watch and willing to exchange in the pocket and should test Miocic‘s chin on occasion. Given that both fighters are well rounded, this fight could go anywhere.

Russow hasn’t been all that active, only fighting once or twice a year since 2009, but if he’s interested in getting into the Octagon soon, Miocic would be an interesting option for him. Both fighters are coming off losses that will set them back, and a win for Miocic would put him back on track to make another step up in competition.

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UFC on Fuel TV 5 Results: What’s Next for Stipe Miocic

Stipe Miocic had a tall task ahead of him when facing Stefan Struve. Miocic had won nine-straight bouts to begin his pro career but had yet to face a fighter as talented as Struve.The loss to Struve only validated the thought that Miocic isn’t ready fo…

Stipe Miocic had a tall task ahead of him when facing Stefan Struve. Miocic had won nine-straight bouts to begin his pro career but had yet to face a fighter as talented as Struve.

The loss to Struve only validated the thought that Miocic isn’t ready for that level of competition which is fine. He’s still new to the MMA game and has room to grow as a fighter. It’s not as if this was his last hoorah or anything. Losing to a guy like Struve is nothing to be shameful about, but Miocic must learn from this loss.

He has to mix up his attacks in future bouts. The straight up boxing approach isn’t going to get it done against upper tier opponents. Only Junior dos Santos, who can crush a man’s soul with a single punch, can get away with simply using his boxing.

After the first round, Miocic was unable to get any offense going outside of a desperation right hand that was preceded by a hard strike from Struve. If Miocic wants to rise up the rankings once more, he will need to add some takedowns or use leg kicks (like he did in the opening frame).

We know Miocic has a solid wrestling pedigree, so developing his ground game shouldn’t be a concern moving forward. By using takedowns, Miocic will not only score points on the judge’s scorecards but also will cause opponents to drop their hands—allowing Miocic to land those power punches he loves to throw.

Miocic also has a number of physical gifts that should help him rebound from the loss. He stands at 6’4″ and is a muscular 240 pounds. He’s also an athletic heavyweight, evident from his previous stint as a collegiate baseball player.

The Ohio-native has a number of options moving forward after the loss. A bout against another athletic heavyweight prospect in Shawn Jordan would be a good “gut check” test for both fighters. Bouts against Pat Barry or Mike Russow would also be logical and entertaining.

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UFC on Fuel TV 5 Results: What’s Next for Stefan Struve

Stefan Struve is on quite a nice run as of late. The win over Stipe Miocic was Struve’s fourth-straight victory in the UFC. Also, all of Struve’s recent wins have come before the final bell with two submission victories mixed in with two TKO finishes.M…

Stefan Struve is on quite a nice run as of late. The win over Stipe Miocic was Struve‘s fourth-straight victory in the UFC. Also, all of Struve‘s recent wins have come before the final bell with two submission victories mixed in with two TKO finishes.

Miocic presented a problem that Struve had previously struggled to overcome in his career—power punches. Miocic is an accomplished boxer who can hit hard, and Struve had struggled to protect his chin while standing above the competition.

Struve took some shots early on and was rocked in the second round, but persevered through the adversity. Just as Jon Anik and Kenny Florian said in the post-fight press conference, Struve is growing as a fighter each time he steps into the Octagon.

We already knew he was a slick submission artist, able to utilize his lanky arms and legs, but showcased his striking game against Miocic. Possessing great height usually translates to a lack of power in the punches, but that didn’t seem to apply to Struve on Saturday.

Another obstacle Struve seemed to overcome was winning when he was picked to be the favorite. Every time Struve seemed to be able to get momentum going in his career, a fight with someone like this always seems to cause him to stumble back down the rankings.

With four-straight victories, Struve is poised to finally be “in the mix.” His physical gifts are well known as is his ground game, but now Struve appears to have a complimentary striking game as well. He still needs to work on fully utilizing his height on the feet, but fighting tall isn’t an easy skill to acquire.

Struve mentioned fighting Fabricio Werdum in the post-fight press conference, but that would be a huge step up in competition for Struve. If he feels he’s ready for the kind of fighter that Werdum is, then more power to him and the UFC for putting that match up together.

With many of the top contenders already having scheduled bouts, I wouldn’t mind seeing him face Mark Hunt (a match up previously put together on the UFC 146 card), once Hunt returns from his injury.

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UFC on Fuel TV 5 Results: What’s Next for Dan Hardy

Dan Hardy was enjoying a big hometown crowd advantage as he took on Amir Sadollah. In what was expected to be mainly a stand up battle, Hardy instead chose to mix in some of his wrestling that he has been working on.It helped turn the tide of the fight…

Dan Hardy was enjoying a big hometown crowd advantage as he took on Amir Sadollah. In what was expected to be mainly a stand up battle, Hardy instead chose to mix in some of his wrestling that he has been working on.

It helped turn the tide of the fight as Hardy was able to score valuable points and won the fight via unanimous decision. The two men exchanged strikes in the first round, but Hardy was able to utilize his ground game in the second and third rounds to seal the victory.

This was perhaps the best Hardy has ever looked in a fight. There were times when we saw the Brit show flashes of brilliance on the feet, but it appears as if Hardy has finally put all of the pieces together. Now, instead of being a one-trick pony kind of fighter, Hardy’s opponents will need to prepare for a takedown or two following his stinging punches.

With his second-straight victory behind him, the question is where does Hardy go from here?

Hardy is stuck in a rather odd predicament at this point in his career. He’s a talented fighter who is continuing to grow as a complete MMA fighter, but he isn’t ready to face the upper talent kind of guys at the moment.

Yet, that’s likely where he will find himself due to his ability to generate interest. It’s a quality that allowed Hardy to keep his job despite losing four-straight fights in the Octagon.

The UFC should bring Hardy along slowly, like a prospect waiting in the wings, but they will likely push him onto a pay-per-view card in the near future. That means a step up in competition from the inconsistent Sadollah.

It’d be a shame for the UFC to do that, however, as the welterweight division doesn’t have a shortage of challengers at this time. Hardy will always be a great commodity for the UFC to sell cards and there’s no reason to rush him up the rankings only to see him falter.

I’d like to see him face the winner of the Paulo Thiago vs. Dong Hyun Kim contest. Both men present unique challenges that would show us just how far Hardy’s ground game has come. If the UFC wants another stand up battle for “The Outlaw,” look for him to face someone like Thiago Alves once the Brazilian returns from injury.

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UFC on Fuel TV 5 Results: What We Learned from Stefan Struve vs. Stipe Miocic

Stefan Struve took a while to get warmed up but eventually found his groove against Stipe Miocic. The Dutchman took a number of good shots in the first round from Miocic, but that all changed in the second round.Struve hurt Miocic, but was hurt himself…

Stefan Struve took a while to get warmed up but eventually found his groove against Stipe Miocic. The Dutchman took a number of good shots in the first round from Miocic, but that all changed in the second round.

Struve hurt Miocic, but was hurt himself by a counter from Miocic when attempting to close out the fight. Struve regrouped and eventually secured the finish with a number of powerful punches and uppercuts.

What We Learned From Stefan Struve:

Struve was picked to win this fight by a majority of MMA pundits. This was the type of fight that in the past, Struve would let slip away. He’d find some way to lose and return to mediocrity in the heavyweight division.

That all changed tonight as Struve showed his maturity as a fighter, waiting to find an opening against a game Miocic. When the opening did present itself, Struve was rocked by a Miocic punch.

It was a moment we’ve seen before, the seven-foot Struve struggling to tuck his chin and finding himself in a world of hurt. This time however, Struve was able to regroup and reengage Miocic. Another opportunity presented itself and Struve was able to capitalize for the finish.

The win for Struve proves that his striking game is finally coming around to where he won’t have to depend on pulling guard like he did against Lavar Johnson. He still needs to work on fighting like a seven-foot fighter, but it’s nice to see some progress.

What We Learned From Stipe Miocic:

There’s no shame in losing to a talented fighter like Struve. It was a big step up in competition for Miocic and he just simply isn’t ready for the upper-tier guys in the heavyweight division.

He was able to get his striking game going in the first round, but it all fell apart in the second frame. Miocic took a number of good shots from Struve but also landed a few of his own.

Miocic will learn from this defeat and become a better fighter because of it. He doesn’t have to go back to the drawing board and completely change his style, but Miocic will definitely need to work on his striking defense.

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UFC on Fuel TV 5: Fighters Who Made Biggest Statements in Nottingham

UFC on Fuel 5 offered the opportunity for some of the UFC’s best international prospects to make a statement. Fighters, such as Stefan Struve, did just that.No one on this card is in line for an immediate title shot (or so you would think), but a win o…

UFC on Fuel 5 offered the opportunity for some of the UFC’s best international prospects to make a statement. Fighters, such as Stefan Struve, did just that.

No one on this card is in line for an immediate title shot (or so you would think), but a win on this type of card can usually set up matches on an even bigger stage that will put the winners on Saturday night’s card on a track to contendership.

These are the fighters that made the biggest statement with their victories in England.

 

Gunnar Nelson

Nelson made his highly hyped UFC debut as one of the most exciting European prospects in all of MMA. The Icelandic 24-year-old certainly did not disappoint as he secured a rear-naked choke victory over DaMarques Johnson in a mere three minutes and 34 seconds.

Nelson sports a 10-0 record with seven victories coming by way of submission, so he clearly has submission skills. He also flashed some impressive kicks in the short lived fight, landing a head kick and some leg kicks that set up Nelson’s early takedown.

This contest was fought at a catchweight of 183 pounds after Johnson failed to make the previously agreed upon 175 pound catchweight. Nelson’s size puts him somewhere between welterweight and middleweight, so it will be interesting to see what class his next bout comes from, but either division has been put on notice that Nelson is a legitimate threat.

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Matt Wiman

Paul Sass was heavily favored coming into his bout with Matt Wiman, but was unable to live up to that billing as Wiman effectively turned tables on the Englishman for the first time in his career.

Sass was a perfect 13-0 prior to this fight with 12 of those wins coming by submission. Fighting a middling veteran in his home country, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Sass would wrap this one up rather easily with a submission.

However, Wiman had other plans as it was the TUF 5 veteran that earned his fifth submission victory and ruined Sass’s undefeated mark.

Wiman‘s armbar was a thing of beauty—it earned him Submission of the Night honors and let everyone know that he shouldn’t be written off quite yet.

 

Stefan Struve

Stefan Struve got his first chance to headline a card (albeit a Fuel card), and he didn’t disappoint.

Struve‘s victory over Stipe Miocic shouldn’t be taken lightly—Miocic was favored coming into the fight and was riding a three-fight UFC win streak. Miocic is a well-rounded fighter but Struve proved that he is ready to take on the next level of heavyweights with his second round TKO victory.

Struve‘s chin has been brought into question since his knockout losses to Travis Browne and Roy Nelson, but any questions on his chin should have been silenced tonight as he took plenty of clean shots from Miocic but stayed in the pocket and exchanged with him as well.

With a great display of heart and knockout power, Struve announced he is ready to step up in competition again.


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