5 Things You Might Not Know About Stefan Struve

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Stefan Struve (28-11) is a Dutch heavyweight combatant who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In his next appearance, the 30-year-old will look to put the brakes on a three-bout losing streak when he meets Marcos Rogerio de Lima (16-5-1) on the main card at UFC Fight Night 145, which takes place at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic, on Feb. 23.

As we approach the contest, here are five things that you might not know about Struve.

He is the tallest fighter on the UFC roster

Struve’s moniker “Skyscraper” is apt considering the Dutchman is 7-foot tall. When the then 21-year-old first started competing for the UFC back in 2009, he was listed an inch smaller at 6’11’’. However, the towering pugilist wasn’t done growing, and has since gained another inch in height. Struve has been criticized for not always using his reach to good effect in his bouts, however.

He favors submissions

Considering Struve’s prodigious height and the fact he hails from a nation renowned for kickboxing, one might assume that he would be inclined to keep his fights on the feet. However, “Skyscraper” is a long-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu devotee who is adept at latching onto submissions. Seventeen (61 percent) of his fights have been finished via this method. His favored move is the triangle choke, a hold he has used to claim victory on eight separate occasions.

He has had health issues

The native of Beverwijk, Netherlands, has had his fair share of injuries and health issues. In March 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV 8, Struve suffered a severely broken jaw in his TKO loss to slugger Mark Hunt. The Dutchman faced further adversity later that year, when he was found to have a heart problem. The official diagnosis was a bicuspid aortic valve -- a medical term used to designate a heart that has two leaflets, as opposed to the normal three. He was prescribed medication, in an effort to alleviate what was a potentially career-ending ailment. Struve responded well, and in December 2014, he was finally able to return to the Octagon, in what transpired to be a losing effort against fellow Dutchman Alistair Overeem at UFC on Fox 13.

He turned professional in his teens

As a youngster growing up in the Netherlands, Struve, like many of his compatriots, was an avid soccer player. But that all changed, when aged 14, his older brother took him to an MMA gym. The gangly teen quickly fell in love with the sport, and made his professional MMA bow three years later at Gentleman Fight Night, in March 2005. Struve emerged victorious from his debut via first-round armbar.

He has spent a lot of time stateside

To this day, Struve remains affiliated with Team Schrijber, the gym he started out at in his home country. However, he has also previously trained stateside, alongside some of the world’s best heavyweights at the Blackzilians team, in Boca Raton, Florida. There, Struve made a particular effort to improve his wrestling and gain muscle. For his forthcoming UFC Fight Night 145 encounter, “Skyscraper” has spent his camp training in Holland. Struve has notably said that he has enjoyed being able to return to his own home every night.