Stefan Struve Vs Travis Browne: UFC 130 BREAKDOWN
By Siri Karri
The middle fight of UFC 130 features two young and hungry heavyweights Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Travis Browne. Who will make the next step in the division and who will have to claw their way up the ranks again?
What Stefan Struve brings to the Table
At an absurd 6’ 11”, Struve has the most descriptive nickname in the UFC. Watching his head tower above the top of the UFC Octagon reminds me of watching the giraffes walk around their pen at the zoo. Unlike the ungainly giraffes however, Stefan Struve definitely knows how to use his length.
When he rotates his hips and corkscrews his long arms into textbook punches, he generates considerable force, knocking out his last 2 opponents Christian Morecraft and Sean McCorkle in spectacular fashion. His long, lanky limbs allow him to control his opponents on the ground whether from both the top and bottom and it’s quite amusing to watch as his Struve’s opponents get lost in a tangle of limbs, only to find themselves being choked or getting pounded on.
On top of that, Struve also has a phenomenal chin. He’s been knocked down more times in his past fights than I can remember and come back to win a good chunk of those fights. In the Morecraft fight, he took such a beating that his corner man, upon seeing Struve’s lip, audibly said,
“A good surgeon can fix that.”
Struve went on to earn “Knockout of the Night”. Oh yeah, and he’s only 23 years old.
What Travis Browne brings to the Table
Similar to Rick Story, another fighter on the UFC 130 card, Travis Browne is a talented individual who hasn’t had enough exposure for the fans to know him well. He only has two fights inside the Octagon, but they indicate exactly what his previous fights showed: kid’s a brawler.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have other skills; he’s utilized takedowns when necessary or will sometimes stick and move if he’s getting rocked. The vast majority of his time, however, is spent walking down his opponent attempting to land a clean shot to their chin.
It also doesn’t hurt that at 6’ 7” and 260 lbs. Travis Browne is certainly one of the largest heavyweights. All that weight and size translates to enormous momentum behind his haymakers, and it doesn’t hurt that he also is blessed with a terrific chin.
James McSweeney was a 6’ 4”, lithe and swift striker. Travis Browne scored a TKO in the first round.
Cheick Kongo, while banished to the role of perennial gate keeper of the heavyweight division, is still a powerful and experienced striker. For the better part of 3 rounds, Browne stood and traded with him and in the end it was Kongo who attempted to clinch and deliver knees to the legs and Browne attempting to separate and trade.
There’s method to his madness.
X Factor
The biggest hole in Struve’s game is, paradoxically, his reach. Trading straight punches with Struve is a recipe for disaster; his reach and leverage is overwhelming. However, Struve has had the most trouble when fighters get close and utilize compact hooks and uppercuts. Both Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson slipped Struve’s punches and landed cleanly on his chin with a power shot and it’s no coincidence that they are his only 2 losses in the UFC.
Browne, while by no means a small fighter himself, utilizes more variety in his striking and there’s a very distinct possibility that he will slip underneath a Stefan Struve straight punch and unload all 260 lbs. of his frame into Stefan’s face.
I honestly give this fight a 50/50, too close to call. But keep your eye out for the upset folks.
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