UFC 130 main card spotlight – Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne

The token clash of the giants on the pay-per-view card is an interesting showdown between talented heavyweight prospects Travis Browne and Stefan Struve, neither of whom seem to be capable of a boring fight in the UFC. Browne, a 6ft 7in and 250 pounds behemoth, made a stunning Octagon debut by demolishing British kickboxer James McSweeney inside the first round before getting a sizeable leap in competition when he returned to action at UFC 120.
‘Hapa’ took on Wolfslair Academy heavyweight Cheick Kongo, taking the French striker all the way to a draw in a back-and-forth affair in which Browne rocked Kongo on a couple of occasions before tiring in the latter stages. A heavy-handed knockout artist who apparently is no novice on the mat either, Browne remains unbeaten as a pro and will look to keep that streak alive on the weekend.
6ft 11in Dutchman Stefan Struve can do no wrong at the moment as the 23 year old ‘Skyscraper’ has consistently thrilled the UFC fans win or lose since signing with the promotion back in 2009. Struve’s only losses in the UFC have come at the hands of top contenders Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson and the Dutchman’s penchant for an exciting finish has made him a firm favourite among both the fans and his employers.
At UFC 117, Struve took a royal beating at the hands of Christian Morecraft before surprising everyone by knocking out the hulking heavyweight in the second round. ‘Skyscraper’ then made it back-to-back wins at UFC 124 in November, stopping big-mouthed Sean McCorkle in the first round with strikes on the mat. The towering Team Schrijber fighter would surely be floating around the title picture with a third successive victory.
The Verdict: On paper, this does not look a good fight for Struve. The Dutchman has a habit of being hit – hard – in every fight he takes and Browne will not hesitate to buckle his long legs if the opening arises. While Browne’s striking is very rough around the edges – ‘Hapa’ prefers to throw massive haymakers with little technique – it is effective and does the job nicely. Struve’s best bet is of course to take the fight to the mat where he can use his excellent BJJ and long frame to cause big problems for Browne, however, we are led to believe that ‘Hapa’ knows his way around the ground game. This could prove decisive, as if Browne can get top position and start hammering away, Struve will be in big trouble. This writer is a big fan of ‘Skyscraper’ and will be rooting for him but I’m taking Browne to stop him with ground and pound in the latter half of the fight. Browne, (T)KO, 2^nd round.