Nicknamed 'The Skyscraper,' six-feet-eleven-inch Beverwijk, Netherlands, Stefan Struve, is now just 24 years of age, but is already well-established in the UFC Heavyweight division with 24 wins against only 5 losses with 6 of those wins coming by way of KO.
Even further astounding, is that Struve was merely a 21-year-old boy when he was immediately 'thrown to the lions' at his UFC debut in London, England, at UFC 95. Against the man who is now the dominating and current heavyweight-champion, Junior dos Santos.
Not unlike my fellow Canadian and welterweight standout Rory MacDonald—who was also tested at his UFC debut when at the tender age of 19 he was thrown in against Carlos Condit—Struve has survived those early battles and setbacks to now being a 'force to be reckoned with.'
Back then, in 2009, when the Netherlander lost to 'Cigano' and then to Roy Nelson in 2010, and once again in 2011, against Travis Browne, nobody panicked...least of all Struve.
Not unlike MacDonald, Struve was young, and had enormous potential. And he knew it. Struve, at 6-feet 11-inches, also had his enormous size going for him.
Even though both young-warriors, Struve and MacDonald had been given the roughest-road humanly possible by the UFC brass, both it seemed, would eventually find their own way in the sport, and today are getting closer and closer to the UFC summit.
MacDonald, now 23 years old, was scheduled to meet his mentor, Georges St-Pierre's arch-nemesis, BJ Penn, on September 22, 2012, at UFC 152. But an unfortunate training injury to McDonald's head has derailed the bout, which is now set for December 8, 2012 at UFC on Fox 5.
As for Struve, his next test will come this Saturday night when he will face Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 5.
Miocic is a 30-year-old former Golden Gloves boxing champion and NCAA Division I college wrestler from Independence, Ohio.
The 6-feet 4-inch Ohioan will be making his fourth appearance in the UFC octagon and is undefeated in his career so far at 9,0, with 7 big KOs.
Miocic already has a 'knock out of the night' performance when he dispatched of Phil De Fries via first-round KO at UFC on Fuel TV: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger,back on February 15 of this year. Omaha, Nebraska.
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