<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Stefan Struve Archives - Cageside Press</title>
	<atom:link href="https://cagesidepress.com/tag/stefan-struve/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link></link>
	<description>Cageside Press - Everything MMA!</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2021 18:44:50 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5</generator>

<image>
	<url>https://cagesidepress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/cropped-cagesidepress512-3-32x32.png</url>
	<title>Stefan Struve Archives - Cageside Press</title>
	<link></link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
	<item>
		<title>UFC Heavyweight Struve Retires, Cites Need to Listen to His Body</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2021/02/15/ufc-heavyweight-struve-retires/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2021/02/15/ufc-heavyweight-struve-retires/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2021 18:44:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=94388</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Soon to be 33-year old Stefan Struve is retiring from MMA. The UFC heavyweight, active since 2005 with over 40 fights, made the announcement Monday, citing ongoing medical issues as the deciding factor in hanging up the gloves. What’s up everyone. I got an announcement to make today. It was a little too long so [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2021/02/15/ufc-heavyweight-struve-retires/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Heavyweight Struve Retires, Cites Need to Listen to His Body</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Soon to be 33-year old Stefan Struve is retiring from MMA. The UFC heavyweight, active since 2005 with over 40 fights, made the announcement Monday, citing ongoing medical issues as the deciding factor in hanging up the gloves.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">What’s up everyone. I got an announcement to make today. It was a little too long so I had to improvise, you can read more in the attachement. I have decided to retire from professional fighting. Thank you all for the support 🙏🏻❤️ <a href="https://t.co/z2eZAALUoP" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/z2eZAALUoP</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Stefan Struve (@StefanStruve) <a href="https://twitter.com/StefanStruve/status/1361299987842359297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">February 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<p style="text-align: left;">I wanted to make an announcement before the news came out a different way. I was contacted by the UFC last week for a fight. However, I&#8217;ve decided it&#8217;s time to retire from fighting. I was able to take my space and time the last couple of months to overthink this, so this time it really is for good. I&#8217;ve had an inner ear issue that I&#8217;ve been battling since May last year. I caught a viral infection that has damaged my vestibular system and the hearing nerve in my right ear. After new tests done recently we learned that the vestibular system is not working properly, the first conclusion was that it was most likely BPPV [Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo].</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Because of this I have been dealing with major vertigo issues and also loss of hearing and tinnitus, a ringing noise in my ear. After I caught it in May things got a lot better, after a couple rough weeks at first. I was doing good although still experiencing some vertigo and other minor issues but my idea was, especially with the doctors telling me the issues would go away after a while, to keep going and ignore it until it was really gone completely. Unfortunately during the fight some of the issues came back after getting hit flush on the right ear, it was a punch that should not be an issue really. After that fight I was having more issues again and the doctors scheduled more tests. Those, unfortunately for me, took a long time to happen because of the lockdown over here in the Netherlands. After these tests I was told the damage in the ear and the vestibular issues caused by the viral infection I&#8217;d been dealing with are most likely permanent.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I have no big issues when I&#8217;m doing my everyday things and/or training on a normal level, to be healthy and in shape. The extreme intensity I have to put my body through in training camp to get ready for fights I can&#8217;t do anymore though. At this juncture I realize that it&#8217;s time to hang up the gloves for good, and put my health and family first. I&#8217;ve had a long career and have battled through multiple injuries and health conditions, including a broken jaw and the heart condition. Pushing forward and training hard and fighting without listening to my body would be asking for real trouble in my opinion.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I am truly appreciative of my career and the treatment I&#8217;ve had with the UFC. Everybody in the organization has always been amazing to me, so it is bittersweet to retire, but I also look forward to what the future holds for me and starting something new. I have to put my health first now, especially now that I&#8217;m a father to my 5 month old son Tobi, with whom his mom and I have been able to spend all the time in the world recently, which I&#8217;m very thankful for. I want to thank all my coaches, my manager, training partners and everybody else who has been part of my career throughout the years. To all the fight fans, even though sometimes I had to dig really deep I had a lot of fun over the years. It was an honor to fight for you.</p>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<p>Struve finishes his career with a record of 33-13, including wins over Bigfoot Silva, Big Nog, Pat Barry, and current UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic. The towering Dutch fighter made his debut in the UFC way back in 2009, and won eight post-fight bonuses during his tenure with the company.</p>
<p>However, health struggles hampered &#8220;The Skyscraper.&#8221; Struve&#8217;s jaw was broken in his 2013 loss to Mark Hunt. That injury cost him over a year of his career. During that time, he was also diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve. In 2019, following his last victory, over Marcos Rogerio de Lima, Struve<a href="https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2019/02/ufc-prague-results-stefan-struve-taps-marcos-rogerio-de-lima-suggests-fighting-career-is-done" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> hinted at retirement</a>. However, he ultimately returned for two more fights, against Ben Rothwell and Tai Tuivasa, losing both.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2021/02/15/ufc-heavyweight-struve-retires/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Heavyweight Struve Retires, Cites Need to Listen to His Body</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2021/02/15/ufc-heavyweight-struve-retires/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>UFC 254 Results: Tai Tuivasa Crumples Stefan Struve with Uppercut</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/24/ufc-254-results-tai-tuivasa-vs-stefan-struve/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/24/ufc-254-results-tai-tuivasa-vs-stefan-struve/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2020 17:51:37 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Results & Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tai Tuivasa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 2 54]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=84588</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Coming into UFC 254, Stefan Struve certainly understood the position opponent Tai Tuivasa was in. The towering heavyweight had once been on a three-fight skid of his own. The exact circumstances Australia&#8217;s Tuivasa found himself in the start the night. Dire straights, in other words. Tuivasa was on the brink of disaster, with a fourth [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/24/ufc-254-results-tai-tuivasa-vs-stefan-struve/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 254 Results: Tai Tuivasa Crumples Stefan Struve with Uppercut</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Coming into UFC 254, Stefan Struve certainly understood the position opponent Tai Tuivasa was in. The towering heavyweight had once been on a three-fight skid of his own. The exact circumstances Australia&#8217;s Tuivasa found himself in the start the night. Dire straights, in other words. Tuivasa was on the brink of disaster, with a fourth loss likely spelling his exit from the promotion.</p>
<p>He earned some breathing room on Saturday, however.</p>
<p>During the broadcast, Jon Anik agreed to do a &#8220;shoey&#8221; should Tuivasa (who spent some time training at American Kickboxing Academy) win the bout. Okay then. Lots more on the line in this one.</p>
<p>To start the fight, Tuivasa moved forward, eventually trapping Struve along the fence. Tuivasa added some knees to the thigh, and punches to the body on his much taller opponent. Not surprisingly, however, he struggled with the height, and the pair would break. Struve would get his kicks going, keeping the Australian on the outside at times. But Tuivasa was winning the striking battle, staying busy, and firing off a number of leg kicks of his own. Any time &#8220;Bam Bam&#8221; closed the distance, he put Struve in serous danger. Finally, after throwing Struve down following a right hand, Tuivasa landed an uppercut that crumpled the big Dutchman. The end came with just a second left in the round.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Get the shoeys ready 👟</p>
<p>🇦🇺 <a href="https://twitter.com/bambamtuivasa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@BamBamTuivasa</a> with the buzzer beater and he&#39;s ready to celebrate!</p>
<p>[ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC254?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#UFC254</a> main card is NEXT: <a href="https://t.co/QRo69og6BH" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">https://t.co/QRo69og6BH</a> ] <a href="https://t.co/JRnQE6ji7w" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/JRnQE6ji7w</a></p>
<p>&mdash; UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1320059756938027008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">October 24, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Following the bout, Tuivasa could be heard calling for a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus. With that finish, he just might get it.</p>
<p>Enjoy your shoey, <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/jon-anik/" data-wpel-link="internal">Jon Anik</a>!</p>
<p><em><strong>Official Result: Tai Tuivasa def. Stefan Struve by knockout, Round 1, 4:59</strong></em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/24/ufc-254-results-tai-tuivasa-vs-stefan-struve/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 254 Results: Tai Tuivasa Crumples Stefan Struve with Uppercut</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/24/ufc-254-results-tai-tuivasa-vs-stefan-struve/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>UFC 254&#8217;s Stefan Struve Can Relate to Tai Tuivasa&#8217;s Slump: &#8220;You Question Why It&#8217;s Happening&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/20/ufc-254-stefan-struve-tuivasa-slump/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/20/ufc-254-stefan-struve-tuivasa-slump/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabriel Gonzalez]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2020 21:14:31 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 254]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=84329</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Abu Dhabi, UAE — For the first time in 2020, towering heavyweight Stefan Struve will return to the UFC octagon. At UFC 254 this weekend, &#8220;The Skyscraper&#8221; will take on Tai Tuivasa. For Struve (29-12), it&#8217;s his first fight since suffering defeat at the hands of Ben Rothwell in a fight marred by low blows [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/20/ufc-254-stefan-struve-tuivasa-slump/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 254&#8217;s Stefan Struve Can Relate to Tai Tuivasa&#8217;s Slump: &#8220;You Question Why It&#8217;s Happening&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Abu Dhabi, UAE — For the first time in 2020, towering heavyweight Stefan Struve will return to the UFC octagon. At UFC 254 this weekend, &#8220;The Skyscraper&#8221; will take on Tai Tuivasa.</p>
<p>For Struve (29-12), it&#8217;s his first fight since suffering defeat at the hands of <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/ben-rothwell/" data-wpel-link="internal">Ben Rothwell</a> in a fight marred by low blows last December. Since that time, fans have left the building, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. The Dutch fighter is not expecting things to be any different in the end this weekend, however.</p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the same thing. I&#8217;m going to go into the cage and there&#8217;s going to be a guy on the other side that&#8217;s going to want to take me out,&#8221; Struve said during the UFC 254 media day on Wednesday. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t matter how many people are in the stands or whatever.&#8221;</p>
<p>Struve, however, did admit that &#8220;I do enjoy the way it&#8217;s all set up here. Having the workout room next to our own hotel room, instead of having to share the workout room with 10 to 12 other people, and the workout room&#8217;s always hot because they have to cut weight and stuff, and they smell most of the time— it&#8217;s nice to have that space to ourselves.&#8221; As he put it, Abu Dhabi has &#8220;everything a fighter could wish for.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;And if it&#8217;s not here, you ask for it and they get it,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>Opponent Tai Tuivasa is in an interesting one for Struve. The Australian likes to stand and bang, and brought the <a href="https://www.mmamania.com/2018/6/10/17446556/watch-tai-tuivasa-shoey-drink-from-all-the-shoes-ufc-225" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">&#8220;shoey&#8221; into the lexicon of MMA fans</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s an exciting fighter. I always enjoy watching him fight. He brings something to the table that not a lot of people have, personality and his fighting style,&#8221; said Struve. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s a good match-up for me.&#8221; Struve hopes to fight the way he did against Rothwell all those months ago. &#8220;Before those low blows, he didn&#8217;t get a single shot in with me. If I fight like that, then Tuivasa isn&#8217;t touching me either.&#8221;</p>
<p>The other factor ahead of the bout is Tuivasa&#8217;s recent fortunes. He&#8217;s lost three straight, and earlier this year revealed that he&#8217;d been cut by the UFC. He was given a reprieve, it seems, but as someone who has been through a similar slump himself, Struve can relate. &#8220;You question why it&#8217;s happening,&#8221; he said Tuesday.</p>
<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re fighting higher level competition. But of course you&#8217;re going to question yourself, and if you&#8217;ve got to change some things around, all that stuff,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;For the rest, I know what I can do, when I lost those fights. I questioned some things of course. I changed some things. But at the same time, he&#8217;s a really good fighter, and he knows his strengths, and he knows what he needs to do when he goes in there.&#8221;</p>
<p>The fight business is just plain unpredictable to boot. &#8220;Sometimes you get what you&#8217;re looking for, and sometimes you don&#8217;t. Especially on this level, when there&#8217;s two guys going in the cage, and one guy&#8217;s got to lose. You&#8217;re both looking to win, and you don&#8217;t always get it,&#8221; Struve noted. &#8220;Not everybody&#8217;s going to be a world champ.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>UFC 254 takes place on “Fight Island” (Yas Island) in Abu Dhabi at the Flash Forum on Saturday, October 24. The main card airs live on PPV following televised and online prelims.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/20/ufc-254-stefan-struve-tuivasa-slump/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC 254&#8217;s Stefan Struve Can Relate to Tai Tuivasa&#8217;s Slump: &#8220;You Question Why It&#8217;s Happening&#8221;</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/10/20/ufc-254-stefan-struve-tuivasa-slump/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Tai Tuivasa Back Against Stefan Struve at UFC 254</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/09/24/tai-tuivasa-back-stefan-struve-ufc-254/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/09/24/tai-tuivasa-back-stefan-struve-ufc-254/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2020 19:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tai Tuivasa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC 254]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=81877</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Despite his release having been confirmed earlier this year, heavyweight Tai Tuivasa is set to return to the octagon. At UFC 254, the Australian fighter will take on the towering Stefan Struve. HOLD ON TO THOSE SHOES, BAM BAM IS BACK 👟🍺 🇦🇺 @BamBamTuivasa faces @StefanStruve at #UFC254#InAbuDhabi &#124; @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/EvbHhnfdfP &#8212; UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) September [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2020/09/24/tai-tuivasa-back-stefan-struve-ufc-254/" data-wpel-link="internal">Tai Tuivasa Back Against Stefan Struve at UFC 254</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Despite his release having been confirmed earlier this year, heavyweight Tai Tuivasa is set to return to the octagon. At UFC 254, the Australian fighter will take on the towering Stefan Struve.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">HOLD ON TO THOSE SHOES, BAM BAM IS BACK 👟🍺</p>
<p>🇦🇺 <a href="https://twitter.com/bambamtuivasa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@BamBamTuivasa</a> faces <a href="https://twitter.com/StefanStruve?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@StefanStruve</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC254?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#UFC254</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InAbuDhabi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#InAbuDhabi</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/VisitAbuDhabi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@VisitAbuDhabi</a> <a href="https://t.co/EvbHhnfdfP" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/EvbHhnfdfP</a></p>
<p>&mdash; UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/UFC_AUSNZ/status/1309077619120332800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">September 24, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>UFC officials announced the news via social media on Thursday. That, despite Tuivasa (9-3) himself confirming that he had<a href="https://www.lowkickmma.com/tai-tuivasa-reveals-he-has-been-released-by-the-ufc/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer"> been released from the promotion.</a> Pandemic era MMA makes for strange bedfellows, however, and there&#8217;s plenty of opportunity for fighters to compete if they&#8217;re willing — which Tuivasa clearly is.</p>
<p>&#8220;Bam Bam&#8221; started his career at 9-0, and made the &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh1oW9vyoqs" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">shoey</a>&#8221; famous among UFC fans. But after winning three straight bouts to kick off his UFC tenure, he&#8217;d go on a three-fight skid. The most recent loss, thought to be his last inside the octagon, came at UFC 243 back in October, against Sergey Spivak.</p>
<p>What a difference a year makes. With bodies need to fill up cards, Tuivasa now gets another go, this time against the veteran Struve (29-12). &#8220;The Skyscraper&#8221; was last seen at UFC on ESPN 7, during which he endured multiple fouls in a losing effort against <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/ben-rothwell/" data-wpel-link="internal">Ben Rothwell</a>.</p>
<p>UFC 254, which takes place on &#8220;Fight Island&#8221; in Abu Dhabi, UAE on October 24, is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ Justin Gaethje.</p>
<p>The card is currently comprised of the following fights:</p>
<p>Khabib Nurmagomedov (c) vs. Justin Gaethje (ic)<br />
Jared Cannonier vs. Robert Whittaker<br />
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Islam Makhachev<br />
Walt Harris vs. Alexander Volkov<br />
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba<br />
Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lauren Murphy<br />
Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Sergey Morozov<br />
Sam Alvey vs. Da Un Jung<br />
Liana Jojua vs. Miranda Maverick<br />
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos<br />
Phil Hawes vs. Jacob Malkoun<br />
Stefan Struve vs. Tai Tuivasa</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2020/09/24/tai-tuivasa-back-stefan-struve-ufc-254/" data-wpel-link="internal">Tai Tuivasa Back Against Stefan Struve at UFC 254</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2020/09/24/tai-tuivasa-back-stefan-struve-ufc-254/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>UFC DC Results: After Delivering Two Groin Shots, Ben Rothwell Finishes Stefan Struve</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/07/ufc-dc-results-ben-rothwell/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/07/ufc-dc-results-ben-rothwell/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dan Doherty]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Dec 2019 04:40:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Results & Recaps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Rothwell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ESPN 7]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=60639</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Stefan Struve and Ben Rothwell&#8217;s fight had an odd ending at UFC DC, with Struve getting knocked out after suffering from two hard shots to the groin. Stefan Struve is coming out of retirement at UFC DC after winning earlier this year to stop a three-fight losing streak. Ben Rothwell is 0-2 since returning from [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/07/ufc-dc-results-ben-rothwell/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC DC Results: After Delivering Two Groin Shots, Ben Rothwell Finishes Stefan Struve</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Stefan Struve and Ben Rothwell&#8217;s fight had an odd ending at UFC DC, with Struve getting knocked out after suffering from two hard shots to the groin.</h2>
<p>Stefan Struve is coming out of retirement at <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/category/UFC" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC</a> DC after winning earlier this year to stop a three-fight losing streak. Ben Rothwell is 0-2 since returning from a USADA suspension that kept him out of action in 2017 and 18.</p>
<p>Stefan Struve started the fight with some leg kicks, but Ben Rothwell was pressing forward. Struve landed a head kick and Rothwell pushed through it and clinched Struve against the cage. He went for a takedown but Struve used his height to stay standing. When they separated, Struve landed a very clean head kick that wobbled Rothwell momentarily. Rothwell then inadvertently kicked Struve in the groin and he went down hard. Struve needed nearly all five minutes to recover, but was able to keep going. While the action was paused, the crowd exploded whenever Struve stood up, and booed whenever he crouched down. When action resumed, Rothwell came out swinging. Struve survived and landed a few huge leg kicks. Rothwell clinched up then separated shortly after. Struve was getting the better of Rothwell on the feet.</p>
<p>In the second round, Struve went back to the leg kicks. The fighters began trading heavy blows, with Rothwell going over the top and Struve throwing uppercuts. Rothwell answered Struve&#8217;s range with clinchwork, but wasn&#8217;t able to do much with it. Again, Struve was nailed with a kick below the belt and went down hard. Again, he used the full five minutes but chose to continue. Rothwell was docked a point, and came out with heat, overwhelming Struve with punches before getting a buzzer-beating stoppage.</p>
<p>Neither Rothwell nor Struve was happy after the fight.</p>
<p><em>Ben Rothwell def. Stefan Struve by TKO (Punches) in Round 2 (4:57)</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/07/ufc-dc-results-ben-rothwell/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC DC Results: After Delivering Two Groin Shots, Ben Rothwell Finishes Stefan Struve</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/07/ufc-dc-results-ben-rothwell/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>UFC DC&#8217;s Stefan Struve Says He Won&#8217;t Be Fighting in his Late 30s</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/05/ufc-dcs-stefan-struve-promises-wont-fighting-late-30s/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/05/ufc-dcs-stefan-struve-promises-wont-fighting-late-30s/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Dec 2019 23:09:14 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ESPN 7]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=60277</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Heavyweights are known for their longevity, but don&#8217;t expect Stefan Struve to be anywhere near the octagon when he&#8217;s pushing forty. Washington, D.C. — It&#8217;s incredible when you really think about it. Stefan Struve has been competing as a pro mixed martial artist since 2005. With the UFC since 2009&#8217;s UFC 95. And he&#8217;s still [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/05/ufc-dcs-stefan-struve-promises-wont-fighting-late-30s/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC DC&#8217;s Stefan Struve Says He Won&#8217;t Be Fighting in his Late 30s</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Heavyweights are known for their longevity, but don&#8217;t expect Stefan Struve to be anywhere near the octagon when he&#8217;s pushing forty.</h2>
<p>Washington, D.C. — It&#8217;s incredible when you really think about it. Stefan Struve has been competing as a pro mixed martial artist since 2005. With the UFC since 2009&#8217;s UFC 95. And he&#8217;s still barely over 30.</p>
<p>Struve (29-11) returns this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 7, where he goes up against another longtime veteran of the heavyweight division, &#8216;Big&#8217; <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/ben-rothwell/" data-wpel-link="internal">Ben Rothwell</a>. Of course, few men are bigger than the towering seven foot Struve himself.</p>
<p>It will be a different feeling, perhaps, when he sets foot in the octagon Saturday, mind you. Struve is coming out of a short, self-imposed retirement. One that he entered following his submission win over Marcos Rogério de Lima earlier this year.</p>
<p>&#8220;I just needed some time off, to really dig deep into my own mind and see what was going on,&#8221; Struve told media outlets including Cageside Press at Thursday&#8217;s UFC DC media day. &#8220;Just being away from everything for a little bit.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I wasn&#8217;t even under contract anymore with the UFC,&#8221; he revealed. &#8220;I had nothing going, so there was no pressure for a fight or whatever.&#8221;</p>
<p>That said, Struve continued to train during his down time, helping <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/alistair-overeem/" data-wpel-link="internal">Alistair Overeem</a> prepare for Alexander Volkov (Volkov would later be replaced by Aleksei Oleinik). &#8220;Ever since then, I&#8217;ve just been training. At first it was like three, four times a week. And then later on I started pushing a little harder. After four, five months I was like &#8216;you know, I&#8217;m doing so well still against these top level guys, I&#8217;m feeling so good, I&#8217;m having fun with it.'&#8221;</p>
<p>With nothing else he wanted to put his energy into, Struve decided to carry on fighting. &#8220;If you&#8217;re doing so well, why not compete a couple more times? You fought up to a level and to a point where the paychecks are real good. So if you feel good, why not? Let&#8217;s do it.&#8221;</p>
<p>Admitting that he did talk to other promotions at least briefly, &#8220;ultimately UFC has always been good to me. I know what I get when I fight here. And the feeling, which was good. The offer was good.&#8221;</p>
<p>Now that Struve is back, the question becomes, how long will the 31-year-old heavyweight stick around? He&#8217;s dealt with injury through his lengthy career, taking some extended breaks. Plus a <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2015/7/28/9036987/stefan-struve-i-ve-been-fighting-my-entire-career-at-60-percent-with" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">heart condition</a>. Despite that, the &#8216;Skyscraper&#8217; has been in an incredible 40 pro fights.</p>
<p>The heart condition, for one, remains in the back of his mind. &#8220;Always. Because it&#8217;s right here, right now. It&#8217;s not like something happened and it&#8217;s gone,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;I was born with a heart defect. And that will be here for the rest of my life.&#8221; When things get hard in training, it can cause him to question himself, said Struve. &#8220;Sometimes when you have a bad day, you&#8217;re tired, I&#8217;m like &#8216;really, is this me, am I just having a bad day, or [is it the heart]?'&#8221;</p>
<p>The good news is, &#8220;it&#8217;s been so stable, ever since they found it. It improved a lot since they found it, then it&#8217;s been stable at that level.&#8221; Which has allowed Struve to keep up his conditioning, which he described as &#8220;awesome. Especially for a heavyweight my size. Seven foot, 270lbs. How much is it really slowing me down? I don&#8217;t know. I probably would have been a lot better if I didn&#8217;t have it, but that&#8217;s just guessing.&#8221;</p>
<p>That said, don&#8217;t expect Stefan Struve to go the route of Alistair Overeem or Ben Rothwell and fight into his late 30s.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think so,&#8221; he said of whether he&#8217;d be in the sport that long. &#8220;At first, when they found [the heart defect], it was like five years ago. I thought that window, five years, was probably a good window to keep on fighting. Now we&#8217;re a little past that, but I&#8217;m still feeling great. But I just want to be smart with it.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I tell my cardiologist too, don&#8217;t look at me like you&#8217;re going to end my career if you have to tell me something bad,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But he&#8217;s really happy with the way it looks. I&#8217;m not going to fight into my late 30s, but right now, it&#8217;s a really good paycheck. I&#8217;m doing something I like. It&#8217;s my life&#8217;s work, I&#8217;m proud of it.&#8221;</p>
<p><em>Watch the full UFC DC media day press scrum with Stefan Struve above!</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/05/ufc-dcs-stefan-struve-promises-wont-fighting-late-30s/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC DC&#8217;s Stefan Struve Says He Won&#8217;t Be Fighting in his Late 30s</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/05/ufc-dcs-stefan-struve-promises-wont-fighting-late-30s/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>UFC On ESPN 7: Under The Radar Fights</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/03/ufc-espn-7-radar-fights/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/03/ufc-espn-7-radar-fights/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Michael Lynch]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Dec 2019 16:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Rothwell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Solecki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Makhmud Muradov]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matt Wiman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ricky Simon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rob Font]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trevor Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ESPN 7]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=60039</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>After two straight weekends without the UFC, the promotion returns in the nation&#8217;s capital, Washington, DC. Plenty of the attention is on the main event as Alistair Overeem will take on Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Today we take a look at some of the fights that have flown under the radar leading up to this week. Stefan [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/03/ufc-espn-7-radar-fights/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC On ESPN 7: Under The Radar Fights</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After two straight weekends without the <strong>UFC</strong>, the promotion returns in the nation&#8217;s capital, Washington, DC. Plenty of the attention is on the main event as <strong>Alistair Overeem</strong> will take on <strong>Jairzinho Rozenstruik</strong>. Today we take a look at some of the fights that have flown under the radar leading up to this week.</p>
<h2>Stefan Struve vs. Ben Rothwell</h2>
<p>Although it is on the main card, this fight has somewhat flown under the radar due to the lack of promotion. <strong>Struve</strong> retired earlier this year after his submission win over <strong>Marcos Rogerio De Lima</strong>. A few months later he announced that he will be coming out of retirement to fight <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/?s=ben+rothwell+" data-wpel-link="internal">Ben Rothwell</a>. Rothwell has also made a comeback this year after a three-year layoff. He is currently on a two-fight losing streak since returning, losing to <strong>Blagoy Ivanov</strong> and <strong>Andrei Arlovski</strong> by decision. The two men have a combined 88 pro MMA fights in their careers.</p>
<h2>Rob Font vs. Ricky Simon</h2>
<p><strong>Simon</strong> was on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC before being knocked out by <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/urijah-faber/" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>Urijah Faber</strong></a> in July. Before his fight with Faber, a lot of people thought Simon would be a serious contender in the bantamweight division. This will be his chance to prove to everyone that he is still that contender. Simon is fighting <strong>Rob Font</strong>, who is 6-2 since joining the UFC. Font has beaten talents like <strong>Sergio Pettis,</strong> <strong>Thomas Almedia,</strong> <strong>Matt Schnell</strong> and <strong>George Roop</strong> in his tenure with the UFC.</p>
<h2>Joe Solecki vs. Matt Wiman</h2>
<p><strong>Wiman</strong> recently made his return to the octagon, losing by TKO to <strong>Luiz Pena</strong> in June of this year. His last fight before that was in November of 2014. The 24-fight veteran has been competing at the professional level since 2004. He will be taking on <strong>Joe Solecki </strong>at UFC on ESPN 7, who will be making his promotional debut with the UFC. We last saw Solecki when he submitted <strong>James Wallace</strong> on <strong>Dana White&#8217;s Contender Series</strong> this past summer. He holds an 8-2 record, beginning his pro career in 2016. Meaning that he turned pro while Wiman was still on his five-year hiatus. This match-up will be a great test for an up-and-coming finisher to see how he will deal with the veteran fight IQ of Wiman.</p>
<h2>Makhmud Muradov vs. Trevor Smith</h2>
<p><strong>Makhmud Muradov</strong> is the only MMA fighter in the world that was brought up by <strong>The Money Team</strong> and <strong><a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/floyd-mayweather/" data-wpel-link="internal">Floyd Mayweather</a>.</strong> He made his UFC debut in September, earning a decision win over <strong>Alessio Di Chirico</strong>. Muradov currently holds a 23-6 pro record, finishing 18 out of those 23 wins. He will be fighting <strong>Trevor Smith</strong> who has been with the UFC since they bought out <strong>StrikeForce.</strong> Smith holds a 15-9 record, while currently on a two-fight losing streak. Those two fights saw him losing decisions to<strong> Elias Theodorou</strong> and<strong> Zak Cummings</strong> back in 2018. His fight on Saturday will be his first in almost a year. Smith has nine submission wins and has been knocked out in four of his nine losses. An interesting stat with Muradov coming from a boxing background and having 15 wins via TKO or KO, while also having three out of his six losses via submission.</p>
<h2>How To Watch UFC On ESPN 7</h2>
<p><strong>UFC on ESPN 7</strong> will take place at the <strong>Capital One Arena</strong> in Washington DC. The early prelims will start at 5:30 pm ET being shown on <strong>ESPN+</strong>. The prelims will then follow starting at 7:00 pm ET, and will be shown on <strong>ESPN</strong>. The main card will stay on ESPN, starting at 9:00 pm ET.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/03/ufc-espn-7-radar-fights/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC On ESPN 7: Under The Radar Fights</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/12/03/ufc-espn-7-radar-fights/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Stefan Struve Returns Against Ben Rothwell at UFC DC</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/08/13/stefan-struve-returns-ben-rothwell-ufc-dc/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/08/13/stefan-struve-returns-ben-rothwell-ufc-dc/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Aug 2019 22:20:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Rothwell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC on ESPN 7]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=50405</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>&#8216;Big&#8217; Ben Rothwell will face the &#8216;Skyscraper&#8217; Stefan Struve at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, DC later this year. A couple of veteran heavyweights will go at it in the nation&#8217;s capital later this winter. On Tuesday, UFC officials announced that Stefan Struve, who seemed to be contemplating retirement following his last fight, would [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/08/13/stefan-struve-returns-ben-rothwell-ufc-dc/" data-wpel-link="internal">Stefan Struve Returns Against Ben Rothwell at UFC DC</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>&#8216;Big&#8217; Ben Rothwell will face the &#8216;Skyscraper&#8217; Stefan Struve at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, DC later this year.</h2>
<p>A couple of veteran heavyweights will go at it in the nation&#8217;s capital later this winter. On Tuesday, UFC officials announced that <a href="http://cagesidepress.com/tag/stefan-struve/" data-wpel-link="internal">Stefan Struve</a>, who seemed to be contemplating retirement following his last fight, would join the UFC DC (as in Washington, D.C.) card against Ben Rothwell. The event, which takes place in December, serves as UFC on ESPN 7.</p>
<p>Struve (29-11) will enter UFC DC off a submission win against Marcos Rogerio de Lima back at UFC Prague earlier this year. Following that win, Struve, who has gone through a number of health issues, including heart troubles, teased retirement. It seems the 31-year old is sticking around a little longer, however. In a <a href="https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/1161300099848425474" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">statement provided to ESPN&#8217;s Ariel Helwani</a>, Stuve&#8217;s manager Lex McMahon confirmed the heavyweight had a new deal.</p>
<p>The statement reads, in part, “the UFC was very supportive of Stefan and gave him a deal that gives him the opportunity to earn a tremendous amount of money and compensates him for what he is, a highly marketable veteran who is near the very top of the division in terms of fights, wins, finishes, and performance bonuses.”</p>
<p>The towering &#8216;Skyscraper&#8217; has been with the UFC a decade, since UFC 95. Despite that, he is still just 31 years old, essentially a spring chicken in the aged heavyweight division.</p>
<p>Ben Rothwell (36-12) is another veteran of the heavyweight ranks, but will enter UFC DC just 6-6 in his UFC tenure. He&#8217;s also lost three straight, which marks the first losing streak of a career that began in 2001. Most recently, he dropped a decision to Andrei Arlovski at UFC San Antonio.</p>
<p>UFC on ESPN 7 / UFC DC takes place December 7 at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/08/13/stefan-struve-returns-ben-rothwell-ufc-dc/" data-wpel-link="internal">Stefan Struve Returns Against Ben Rothwell at UFC DC</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/08/13/stefan-struve-returns-ben-rothwell-ufc-dc/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>UFC Prague: What&#8217;s Next?</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/25/ufc-prague-whats-next/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/25/ufc-prague-whats-next/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Blaine Henry]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2019 01:35:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liz Carmouche]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thiago Santos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC Fight Night 145]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=34215</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As the smoke has cleared following UFC Prague, the promotion&#8217;s debut in the Czech Republic, we take a look at a fun night of fights, and what should be next for those involved — including main event winner Thiago Santos. With a rousing night of fights in the books, the fighters from UFC Prague will [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/25/ufc-prague-whats-next/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Prague: What&#8217;s Next?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>As the smoke has cleared following UFC Prague, the promotion&#8217;s debut in the Czech Republic, we take a look at a fun night of fights, and what should be next for those involved — including main event winner Thiago Santos.</h2>
<p>With a rousing night of fights in the books, the fighters from UFC Prague will be looking forward to the next fight. For those that won, they look to continue the rise to the top. For the fighters that were on the wrong end of the fight, a rebound. Let’s take a look at what could be next for a few of our fighters.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<h2>Petr Yan is no longer bantamweight’s dark horse<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></h2>
<p>Petr Yan is the bantamweight division’s hottest contender. After the Russian’s defeat of veteran John Dodson, Petr Yan moves to 4-0 in the UFC since joining in June of 2018. While constantly bringing forward pressure and staying composed the whole fight, despite being knocked down once by Dodson, Yan cruised to a unanimous decision. Yan will continue to look for tougher opponents as his rise continues.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Dodson, on the other hand, showed signs of age. He didn’t look quite as fast as he normally does. That said, John Dodson still has a lot left in the tank. Since losing to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 191, Dodson has moved up to the bantamweight division and gone 3-4. Maybe it’s time for Dodson to return to flyweight now that there’s a new champ for him to go at it with.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<h4><strong>Next for Petr Yan:</strong> John Lineker, Raphael Assuncao</h4>
<h4><strong>Next for John Dodson:</strong> Thomas Almedia at bantamweight, Magomed Bibulatov at flyweight</h4>
<h2>Liz Carmouche continues her run to a title shot</h2>
<p>Liz Carmouche continues her career turnaround at her natural weight class. After a close split decision loss to Alexis Davis in her debut at flyweight, she has rattled off two straight wins. While Carmouche may be one win away from a title shot in the UFC’s eyes, she does hold a win over current champ, Valentina Shevchenko. One more win would put her in striking distance of another shot at UFC gold.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Pudilová showed she can compete with the division’s best. While Carmouche may have been too much, Lucie will learn from this fight. Her next fight should be a ranked opponent again. A win there would establish her place in the division.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<h4><strong>Next for Liz Carmouche:</strong> Sijara Eubanks, Katlyn Chookagain</h4>
<h4><strong>Next for Lucie Pudilová:</strong> Paige Van Zant, Antonina Shevchenko</h4>
<h2>Michał Oleksiejczuk gives us the ever-coveted liver shot TKO</h2>
<p>Michał Oleksiejczuk gets his first official win in the UFC. After beating Khalil Rountree Jr. then popping for clomiphene, an estrogen blocker banned by USADA, Oleksiejczuk notches his 10th straight win. He looks to continue his streak after giving us the beautiful liver shot on Gian Villante. Let’s just hope he can stay out of USADA’s cross hairs.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Gian Villante fell to 17-11 and 7-8 in the UFC. Villante has been around since Strikeforce and light heavyweight is trying to keep contenders. Look for the UFC to keep Villante around for another scrap. Hopefully his career can bounce in the right direction.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<h4><strong>Next for Michał Oleksiejczuk:</strong> Johnny Walker/Misha Cirkunov loser, Jimmy Crute</h4>
<h4><strong>Next for Gian Villante:</strong> Sam Alvey, Khalil Rountree Jr./Eryk Anders Winner</h4>
<h2>Stefan Struve goes out on a high note</h2>
<p>Stefan Struve has been a long time staple of the heavyweight division in the UFC. Making his debut in 2009, &#8220;The Skyscraper&#8221; is well known for his height. Struve threw the gloves down in the octagon and called it a career following UFC Prague. If it is the end, he has plenty to be proud of, as he has notched wins over &#8220;Bigfoot&#8221; Silva, Stipe Miocic, Big Nog, and Pat Barry. Congratulations to Struve on a great career!</p>
<p><strong>Marcos Rogério de Lima</strong>, on the other hand, looked great in the first round before Struve had him locked down. A big power shot put Struve down and had Struve in do-or-die mode. de Lima will look to set himself back up and find his place in the UFC after yo-yo&#8217;ing wins and losses.</p>
<h4><strong>Next for Stefan Struve:</strong> A long vacation on a beach in Tahiti</h4>
<h4><strong>Next for Marcos Rogério de Lima:</strong> Junior Albini, Blagoy Ivanov/Ben Rothwell loser</h4>
<h2>Thiago Santos claims the next shot</h2>
<p>Thiago Santos fought at 170. Remember that? It seems as if &#8220;Marreta&#8221; has found his place in the light heavyweight division. Since moving up to 205, Santos has rattled off three straight wins against Eryk Anders, Jimi Manuwa, and now Jan Błachowicz. Santos is in prime real estate to get the next crack at the light heavyweight title. While he has a win over current challenger, Anthony Smith, more people are expecting Jon Jones to be the one coming out on top to take on Santos next. The timeline is perfect, with the fight being this weekend, it won&#8217;t be long before Santos knows if he&#8217;s fighting Smith or Jones.</p>
<p>Błachowicz was on an absolute tear in terms of the light heavyweight division. Four straight wins, but now Błachowicz sees his title aspirations come to a pause while Santos takes his spot. Błachowicz has improved greatly in recent times and he will look to continue to improve to get a shot at the title after Santos gets his. While UFC Prague was a setback for Jan, it&#8217;s not the last we&#8217;ve seen of him.</p>
<h4><strong>Next for Thiago Santos:</strong> Jon Jones/Anthony Smith winner</h4>
<h4><strong>Next for Jan Błachowicz:</strong> Alexander Gustafsson rematch, Jimi Manuwa Trilogy</h4>
<p><em>Thanks for reading! Who do you think is next for the fighters in Prague? Sounds off below!</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/25/ufc-prague-whats-next/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Prague: What&#8217;s Next?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/25/ufc-prague-whats-next/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>UFC Prague Bonuses: Finishers Awarded in Promotion&#8217;s Czech Debut</title>
		<link>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/24/ufc-prague-bonuses-finishers-awarded-promotions-czech-debut/</link>
					<comments>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/24/ufc-prague-bonuses-finishers-awarded-promotions-czech-debut/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Anderson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Feb 2019 18:53:44 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MMA News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwight Grant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michal Oleksiejczuk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stefan Struve]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thiago Santos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UFC Fight Night 145]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://cagesidepress.com/?p=34081</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Thiago Santos cashed in at UFC Prague, while Stefan Struve earned a Performance of the Night bonus in what may have been his final fight. The UFC made its debut in the Czech Republic on Saturday, in a show that transpired mid-afternoon for many in the west. With a light heavyweight main event between hard-hitting [&#8230;]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/24/ufc-prague-bonuses-finishers-awarded-promotions-czech-debut/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Prague Bonuses: Finishers Awarded in Promotion&#8217;s Czech Debut</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Thiago Santos cashed in at UFC Prague, while Stefan Struve earned a Performance of the Night bonus in what may have been his final fight.</h2>
<p>The UFC made its debut in the Czech Republic on Saturday, in a show that transpired mid-afternoon for many in the west. With a light heavyweight main event between hard-hitting Thiago Santos and Jan Blachowicz, fireworks were to be expected. Well, UFC Prague delivered them, in that fight and more.</p>
<p>When it came time to dole out the bonuses following UFC Fight Night 145 (as UFC Prague is numerically known), the organization looked to the finishers. Electing not to hand out a Fight of the Night award, the UFC instead gave Performance of the Night bonuses to four fighters, including main event winner Thiago Santos.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="pl" dir="ltr">💰 50Gs 💰<a href="https://twitter.com/TMarretaMMA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@TMarretaMMA</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/StefanStruve?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@StefanStruve</a> | Oleksiejczuk | <a href="https://twitter.com/DwightGrant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">@DwightGrant</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFCPrague?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">#UFCPrague</a> <a href="https://t.co/M827rJgiN5" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/M827rJgiN5</a></p>
<p>&mdash; UFC (@ufc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1099438422450671616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="external noopener noreferrer">February 23, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Also picking up a Performance of the Night award, Stefan Struve, who pulled off second-round submission win against Marcos Rogério de Lima. Following the fight, Struve took off his gloves and left them in the cage, saying while he wasn&#8217;t 100% certain he was retiring, there was a good chance he was hanging them up.</p>
<p>If it was indeed his final performance, it was a great way to close out a lengthy career. Although just 31 years old, Struve has competed in 40 pro fights, going 29–11. He has been with the UFC a full decade, making his debut in February 2009.</p>
<p>The remaining Performance of the Night awards at UFC Prague went to Dwight Grant, for his TKO finish of Carlo Pedersoli Jr., and Michał Oleksiejczuk, who brought about the end to Gian Villante&#8217;s night with a body punch.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/24/ufc-prague-bonuses-finishers-awarded-promotions-czech-debut/" data-wpel-link="internal">UFC Prague Bonuses: Finishers Awarded in Promotion&#8217;s Czech Debut</a> appeared first on <a href="https://cagesidepress.com" data-wpel-link="internal">Cageside Press</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
					<wfw:commentRss>https://cagesidepress.com/2019/02/24/ufc-prague-bonuses-finishers-awarded-promotions-czech-debut/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
			<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		
		
			</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
