Fight Log
Loading Fight Log...
More Fantasy News
Falls to 1-5 in past six bouts
Struve lost to Tai Tuivasa via KO (punches) at 4:59 of Round 1 at UFC 254 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
ANALYSIS
This was appearance No. 24 for Struve in the UFC, and there is no guarantee he will see No. 25. A loser for the fifth time in his past six bouts, Struve's inability to defend himself on the feet was once again his ultimate downfall. He found himself pinned up against the fence and unable to avoid the onslaught from Tuivasa. A legitimate seven-footer, Struve never learned how to use his massive height and length to his advantage in the striking game. Struve is somehow still just 32 years old, but the UFC is going to have a difficult time running him back out there again. A career that once appeared to have so much promise -- Struve recorded a knockout win over current UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic back in September 2012 -- just simply failed to materialize.
This was appearance No. 24 for Struve in the UFC, and there is no guarantee he will see No. 25. A loser for the fifth time in his past six bouts, Struve's inability to defend himself on the feet was once again his ultimate downfall. He found himself pinned up against the fence and unable to avoid the onslaught from Tuivasa. A legitimate seven-footer, Struve never learned how to use his massive height and length to his advantage in the striking game. Struve is somehow still just 32 years old, but the UFC is going to have a difficult time running him back out there again. A career that once appeared to have so much promise -- Struve recorded a knockout win over current UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic back in September 2012 -- just simply failed to materialize.
Booked against Tuivasa
Struve will take on Tai Tuivasa in a heavyweight matchup at a UFC event scheduled for Oct. 24, Marcel Dorff of MMADNA reports.
ANALYSIS
Struve has now dropped four of his last five fights, but his last defeat is tough to count against him, as he was winning the fight but clearly compromised by multiple groin strikes. He'll now draw an opponent in Tuivasa that finds himself on a three-fight losing streak, and "The Skyscraper" will again enter with massive height and reach advantages. Tuivasa offers little danger in terms of offensive wrestling, so look for this one to play out primarily on the feet. This bodes well for Struve, provided he can use his length advantages to stay out of harm's way.
Struve has now dropped four of his last five fights, but his last defeat is tough to count against him, as he was winning the fight but clearly compromised by multiple groin strikes. He'll now draw an opponent in Tuivasa that finds himself on a three-fight losing streak, and "The Skyscraper" will again enter with massive height and reach advantages. Tuivasa offers little danger in terms of offensive wrestling, so look for this one to play out primarily on the feet. This bodes well for Struve, provided he can use his length advantages to stay out of harm's way.
Loses following two groin strikes
Struve lost to Ben Rothwell via TKO (punches) at 4:57 of Round 2 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Washington D.C.
ANALYSIS
You can't help but feel bad for Struve. He was in full control for nearly the entirety of this bout before getting smashed with a pair of massive groin strikes. He took the entire allotted five minutes following the first one and nearly the entire five minutes the second time and continued fighting following both instances. Clearly compromised by the second groin strike, Struve was unable to really move and was knocked out by Rothwell with just seconds remaining in Round 2. He was visibly upset with Rothwell following the announcement of the decision and with good reason, but Struve rolled the dice by continuing to fight and paid the price. It's just an unfortunate set of circumstances all the way around for a fighter who has struggled to get out of his own way the past several years. Struve has openly contemplated retirement in the past but recently signed a new six-fight deal with the company, so he should be around for the foreseeable future.
You can't help but feel bad for Struve. He was in full control for nearly the entirety of this bout before getting smashed with a pair of massive groin strikes. He took the entire allotted five minutes following the first one and nearly the entire five minutes the second time and continued fighting following both instances. Clearly compromised by the second groin strike, Struve was unable to really move and was knocked out by Rothwell with just seconds remaining in Round 2. He was visibly upset with Rothwell following the announcement of the decision and with good reason, but Struve rolled the dice by continuing to fight and paid the price. It's just an unfortunate set of circumstances all the way around for a fighter who has struggled to get out of his own way the past several years. Struve has openly contemplated retirement in the past but recently signed a new six-fight deal with the company, so he should be around for the foreseeable future.
Slated for UFC DC
Struve will square off against Ben Rothwell in a heavyweight matchup at UFC DC on Dec. 7.
ANALYSIS
Struve's UFC career seemed to be on a downward trend before he successfully finished Marcos Rogerio de Lima via submission in the second round at UFC Prague in February. He strongly hinted at retirement following that victory, which made sense at the time given he had a chance to go out on top. Struve and his camp must have liked the matchup offered by UFC brass, however, as Rothwell is an aging fighter as well that hasn't had much success of late. Stuve will have major height and reach advantages in this fight, but unlike fighters such as LHW champion Jon Jones, he's struggled to truly take advantage of those physical tools during his UFC tenure. Struve sports just a 54 percent takedown defense, but Rothwell doesn't have much of an offensive wrestling game to speak of. He'd be best-suited to keep this fight standing and pepper Rothwell with distance strikes, but should this fight get to the mat, he does have 18 career submission wins. Another outcome of that fashion wouldn't be overly shocking.
Struve's UFC career seemed to be on a downward trend before he successfully finished Marcos Rogerio de Lima via submission in the second round at UFC Prague in February. He strongly hinted at retirement following that victory, which made sense at the time given he had a chance to go out on top. Struve and his camp must have liked the matchup offered by UFC brass, however, as Rothwell is an aging fighter as well that hasn't had much success of late. Stuve will have major height and reach advantages in this fight, but unlike fighters such as LHW champion Jon Jones, he's struggled to truly take advantage of those physical tools during his UFC tenure. Struve sports just a 54 percent takedown defense, but Rothwell doesn't have much of an offensive wrestling game to speak of. He'd be best-suited to keep this fight standing and pepper Rothwell with distance strikes, but should this fight get to the mat, he does have 18 career submission wins. Another outcome of that fashion wouldn't be overly shocking.
Reverses fortune to find finish
Struve defeated Marcos Rogerio de Lima via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 1:34 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night 145 in Prague, Czech Republic on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
It's hard to imagine that Struve's evening could have started much worse, as he ate a huge shot in the opening minute of the fight that sent him to the canvas. De Lima was able to control the Dutchman for the rest of the round, landing intermittent ground-and-pound until the horn sounded. Struve pulled himself up by his bootstraps in the second frame, however, getting a takedown of his own and cutting through his opponent's guard to get the choke. The come-from-behind effort earned "The Skyscraper" an extra $50,000 in the form of a Performance of the Night bonus. Struve said after the fight that he is considering retirement but it's difficult to say what his future holds after stopping a three-fight losing skid. If he were to call it quits, Struve would leave MMA with a professional record of 29-11.
It's hard to imagine that Struve's evening could have started much worse, as he ate a huge shot in the opening minute of the fight that sent him to the canvas. De Lima was able to control the Dutchman for the rest of the round, landing intermittent ground-and-pound until the horn sounded. Struve pulled himself up by his bootstraps in the second frame, however, getting a takedown of his own and cutting through his opponent's guard to get the choke. The come-from-behind effort earned "The Skyscraper" an extra $50,000 in the form of a Performance of the Night bonus. Struve said after the fight that he is considering retirement but it's difficult to say what his future holds after stopping a three-fight losing skid. If he were to call it quits, Struve would leave MMA with a professional record of 29-11.