BEHIND THE SCENES MMA ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
10/03/2012
The Sky is the Limit for the Skyscraper
By Christopher ‘sLapDatSuCKa’ Jester
Just when everyone had written off Stefan Struve as a mid-tier heavyweight, he goes out and pulls off a win that puts him back on the map. Struve faced off against Stipe Miocic on last Saturday, September 29th at UFC on Fuel 5, and he came back from a first round where he took multiple shots from the heavy handed striker. But the 7 foot-tall Dutchman proved that he is still a threat in the UFC heavyweight division.
What is ironic is that Stefan Struve never really stopped being a top heavyweight. It was the three knockouts he suffered from Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson, and Travis Browne that made people think Struve was not capable of being considered a top heavyweight.
One of Struve’s biggest issues as a fighter was that he never fought like he was 7 feet tall and he often allowed his opponents to push the pace of the fight. The first round seemed like he would allow that trait to continue, but he showed in the second round that picking his shots would suit him a lot better. When he was hurt, the old Stefan Struve would have pulled guard and attempted a submission. However, the submission expert showed that he has improved on his striking as well, polishing off Miocic with punches and uppercuts; ultimately eliminating the thought of him as a one-trick pony.
Now on a four-fight winning streak, Stefan Struve is on the right path to being considered a legitimate heavyweight contender. What helps the 24-year-old is that he is still improving. After suffering a terrible debut against the now reigning heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, Struve has steadily climbed the ranks amid setbacks from knockout losses. But it was obvious that his growth in the Octagon could make him a dangerous threat in the heavyweight division.
Another big win in this division could easily skyrocket “The Skyscraper” into a #1 contender’s match or quite possibly a title match. Although he suffered a 54 second knockout loss to Junior dos Santos back in February of 2009, Stefan Struve has improved drastically since then. He has stated that he would like to fight Fabricio Werdum. This would be the perfect match-up that could lead to that aforementioned contender’s match-up. Each fighter has a quick knockout loss to the current champion and if dos Santos gets past Cain Velasquez in the rematch, either fighter would serve well in a rematch against him.
In any case, Stefan Struve has a lot to look forward to and moving up the UFC heavyweight rankings is one, and he has to talent to do so. Riding those four impressive victories, Struve is quite dangerous and he wants his next fight to put him into title contention. The sky is the limit for the 7 foot Dutchman, and his next fight should be the fight he needs to prove that he is ready for the big time.
* Photo credit UFC.com
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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