The UFC 175 scheduled for July 5th has added a Heavyweight fight between Stefan Struve and Matt Mitrione in a matchup between two of the division’s mid tier fighters. Struve has not fought in a year, since getting his jaw broken by Mark Hunt in March of 2013, while Mitrione won his last outing, but was a mediocre 1-3 in his 4 outing prior to that one. Both men need a win to re-establish an upward trajectory.
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Struve was riding a solid four fight winning streak that saw the 6’10 ‘Skyskraper’ start to enter the title picture. The Hunt fight changed all that, and spending a year away from the cage has left him a forgotten man in the Heavyweight division.
Mitrione is showing improved conditioning and he has KO power, but his game is not as far ranging as Struve. Struve is almost 10 years younger than Mitrione and he has 20 more MMA fights than Mitrione, against better competition. Despite the layoff, Struve will almost certainly come in favored to win the fight.
Struve’s standup is solid for MMA, and he has the potential to keep Mitrione at a distance using jabs and kicks, playing right into his physical advantage of height. On the ground, he can swarm from top position, and is also one of the few heavyweights who can be dangerous from his back as well. Somehow, it is not difficult to picture ‘Meathead’ Mitrione getting caught in a triangle.
Mitrione has a punchers chance, and Struve is coming off a broken jaw. Struve’s level and pedigree come into play again, as after more than a year since his last fight, it is a good assumption that he has learned ways to use his 6’10 frame to protect his jaw. Hunt is a better striker than Mitrione, and Hunt had to work to find Struve’s button. Others have found it before as well, but Struve has proven to be prepared on defense and Mitrione will likely be limited to landing the home run punch.
