One Heavyweight could be looking at a pink slip with another loss.
In the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 87 we have a Heavyweight tilt that is set to the decide the fate of two veterans of the sport. Everyone has their day in the sun and it appears for both Stefan Struve and Antonio Silva the brighter days are behind them. Both men have suffered some pretty severe finishes and setbacks that have likely left them with both physical and mental scars they won’t soon forget. As they enter into this contest a loss for either man would be extremely devastating. It’s hard to believe that Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve is actually considered a veteran, but with 36 fights under his belt it’s hard to call him anything but a veteran. He’s only 28 years old, but he has a ton of experience against some high level competition. If Struve hopes to get back on track and build a meaningful winning streak then he’ll have to learn to start fighting smarter. Struve is an extremely tall man yet he fails to use his length against many of his opponents. A long jab and some front kicks would certainly do his game some good, but until he learns to utilize his height as a weapon then he’ll consistently find himself in trouble against the elite of the weight class. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva unlike Struve does not have time on his side. Silva has been deteriorating ever since the ban of TRT, a treatment that he needs to legitimate reasons, and has sandwiched a win against Soa Palelei with devastating KO losses to both Frank Mir and Mark Hunt. While the Heavyweight was on TRT he was able to absorb more punishment, fighting Mark Hunt to a draw in a wildly popular slugfest. Once off TRT it seems that Silva’s ability to take a punch has scaled off dramatically. In terms of tactics, if Silva hopes to defeat Struve he’ll have to stay in the taller man’s face and push down on the gas. Unfortunately for Bigfoot that scenario is highly unlikely. The more likely outcome is that Struve will score a TKO victory by actually using his length and killer instinct to his advantage. Who do you think will be triumphant, Struve or Silva? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.
Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
