Stefan Struve has been one of those fighters that a lot of people have been watching for some time. Ever since the recent renaissance of the heavyweight division Struve has been one of those fighters who has built a reputation as a guy who, win or lose, will put in a solid performance. With his win last night over up-and-comer Stipe Miocic, the question now becomes: Can Struve put up a case for top-level contender status in the division?
To say Struve hasn’t faced any real contenders to-date would be ignorant for any MMA sports fan to say. Struve was born into the UFC in a baptism of fire, when he was put up against current champion Junior Dos Santos (who at that time was still just a contender); Struve lost the fight, but his overwhelming size and presence in the octagon definitely left an impression. There’s no shame in being put down by one of the top fighters in your first fight on the big stage either.
Struve wouldn’t stay quiet for long, after his loss to Dos Santos he would go on to string together three solid wins – two by submissions finishes. After a brief setback against Roy Nelson, Struve would go on to finish his next two fights by TKO. It’s at this point that a lot of people became aware of how well-rounded the “Skyscraper’s” game was – he can finish you on the ground or on your feet. You can take him to the brink of near defeat and he will comeback and put you down in spectacular style.
With all of this being noted, in my personal belief, I really do not see Struve moving much beyond the status of gate-keeper. Struve has shown that he can bang with the up-and-comers and in most cases put them down – as he did with Stipe Miocic last night. However, where Struve tends to fall short is his inability to close the deal against high-level competition, like Roy Nelson and Junior Dos Santos. Some people might disagree with my assertion here, especially given that he is still rather young (only 24 years old) and has a lot of time to grow, however watching him fight tells shows me a lot of things.
One key reason for my belief that he won’t grow beyond gate-keeper, is that Struve does not appear to use his most effective tool to his advantage on the feet that often – his height. When on the ground those long legs of his have been his greatest asset; however, watching him fight Miocic the other night I was taken aback by how easily Miocic was able to get inside Struve’s massive range. I am not sure if it’s because Struve is still young, or that he gets jitters, but when you have a tool like this you have to take advantage of it!
Another reason for my belief, is that Struve seems to have a hard time covering up and avoiding damage. One of his trademarks to-date has been his ability to come back in fights after he has been beaten down in a fight, and while this might make for a great drama, damage like this over a long period of time can be a major setback for any fighter. Look at guys like Marcus Davis or Chris Lytle, both fighters were bangers who liked to take a lot of damage, both fighters had to have surgery to remove scar tissue because a stiff breeze would cause their faces to burst open. Over the long-term, this could hinder Struve and cause him to suffer from a very similar issue.
Gate-keeper or contender, I still like watching Struve fight. He’s one of the few fighters out there today that I feel goes out and tries to win. Every time I see him enter the octagon I can say with confidence: “This one ain’t going the distance”. Despite the fact that I don’t ever see him being a top-level contender, I still think there we will see him around for a long time!
… and that is the last word.
