Went back and rewatched many Stefan Struve and Antonio Silva fights. Took some notes while I was doing it. These two veterans deserve a round of applause because they have had some exciting fights. Been in there with the bests guys in the heavy weight division. But now both are desperate for a win. Let's break it down:
Stefan "Sky Scraper" Struve - Height: 7' - Reach: 84.5 inches Record: 26-8-0 Stance: Orthodox
Sky Scraper has been fighting with the best since he was only 21 years old. His first fight in the UFC was against Junior Dos Santos. Since then he has fought many notable heavy weights including Roy Nelson, Travis Browne, Mark Hunt, Alistair Overeem, and Sean McCorkle. His best wins are Stipe Miocic and Big Nog. He has had 5 performances of the night. He is coming off a loss so he will be really looking to prove that he belongs.
| Stengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Well rounded. | Move straight back when pushed. |
| Good at keeping distance. | Gets hit with left hook and overhand right. |
| Strongest weapons are a heavy leg kick and jab. | Taken down in most of his fights. |
| Good Upkicks. | Eats big shots from the bottom. |
| Submissions off his back. | Has problems when held against the cage. |
| Can sweep well from bottom. | Keeps head on center line when attacking |
| Creative striking. | Needs distance to thrive. |
| Comes back from adversity. | Used to being the bigger man/longer fighter. |
| Good straight punches and knees. | Didn't look good against Hunt or Overeem |
Fight Odds: -190
Struve is used to being the longer opponent. A lot of the things that work well for him are against smaller guys. Bigfoot isn't going to be as small. It's going to be interesting to see if Stefan's strength still shine through without the intense reach advantage. He uses the jab effectively because he usually has much better reach. He is able to push off fighters hips and get up because of his long legs vs short opponents. I don't know if it will be as effective in this next fight. But I would never count Sky Scraper out for getting the TKO.
Antonio "Big Foot" Silva - Height: 6'4" - Reach: 80.5 inches Record: 20-7-1 Stance: Orthodox
Big Foot has faced all of the best heavy weights in the world. He was the second man to defeat the legendary Fedor Emelianenko. Antonio suffered from a rare condition called acromegaly which caused excess production of growth hormone. He has had surgery on his pituary gland, and before usada he was on testosterone replacement therapy. Can he finish Stefan early?
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Powerful punches that could drop any one. | Not much head movement. |
| Ruthless ground and pound and top control. | Questionable chin/Can't use TRT any more |
| Devastating leg kicks. | Absorbs many leg kick and doesn't check. |
| Good pressure against the cage with elbows, knees, and uppercuts. | Eats shots to deliver shots. |
| Goes in for the kill. | Slows down in the later rounds and has been broken. |
| Good at keeping distance. | Slow/Flat footed |
| Mixes punches with kicks and takedowns. | Absorbs jabs and straight punches. |
| Keeps hands high. | Has trouble against speed |
| Has been in wars with the best. | Throws recklessly when he smells blood. |
Fight Odds: +155
Antonio hasn't looked like himself the last few fights and has been taking some damage and bad knock outs. The best chance he has to win this fight is in the first round by knockout or TKO. IF he can muscle Struve against the cage or mix his punches with a takedown and get him down to the ground he could win the fight. Never sleep on Silva's knock out power or he will put you asleep with it.
So this is how I imagine this fight playing out. Struve will be able to use his superior speed and reach and advantage to keep Big Foot from landing his big strikes. Sky Scraper will land the big strike that stuns Antonio and will win by KO or TKO. Alternatively if Bigfoot is able to get the takedown and nullify Stefan's sweeps and hip control he could win a TKO or Decision victory.
I think that Antonio Silva may be nearing retirement soon. Stefan Struve is still young and I can see him having more of a career in the future. Don't get me wrong Big Foot has the ability to win this fight. But if I had to put my money on it(which I will) I would choose Struve. Speed and Striking will defeat a Slow and questionable chin.
Hope I wasn't too hard on Big Foot in this thread he is a legend. What do you guys think? How do you see the fight going. Do you think I called it right? Is there something that I am missing.
Would love to hear what you guys think. Follow me on twitter @MMAfanJesse if you want.
