Stefan Struve facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stefan Struve
Born	Stefan Struve (1988-02-18) February 18, 1988 (age 37) Beverwijk, Netherlands
Other names	Skyscraper
Nationality	Dutch
Height	7 ft 0 in (213 cm)
Weight	265 lb (120 kg; 18 st 13 lb)
Division	Heavyweight (2006–2021) Light Heavyweight (2005–2006)
Reach	84+1⁄2 in (215 cm)
Fighting out of	Beverwijk, Netherlands
Team	Team Schreiber Blackzilians (2015–2016) Combat Club (formerly) Sanford MMA (formerly)
Rank	Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Years active	2005–2020
Kickboxing record
Total	4
Wins	4
By knockout	3
Mixed martial arts record
Total	42
Wins	29
By knockout	8
By submission	18
By decision	2
By disqualification	1
Losses	13
By knockout	9
By submission	1
By decision	3

Stefan Struve (; born February 18, 1988) is a Dutch former mixed martial artist. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a heavyweight fighter. Standing at 7 feet (2.13 meters) tall, he is the tallest fighter ever in the UFC. His height earned him the nickname "Skyscraper."

Early Life and Training

Stefan grew up in the Netherlands. He played soccer until he was 14 years old. One day, his brother took him to a local martial arts gym. This gym was owned by Bob Schreiber, a famous martial artist. After this visit, Stefan decided to try mixed martial arts (MMA) instead of soccer. He had his first and only amateur MMA fight when he was 16. He won that fight by a head kick knockout, which is when a fighter is hit so hard they cannot continue.

Starting His MMA Career

Stefan became a professional fighter at age 17. His first pro fight was for an organization called GFN. By the end of 2008, he had won 16 fights and lost only 2. One loss was due to an injury. The other was in a tournament in Ukraine. Before joining the UFC, he talked with other big fighting groups like DREAM and Affliction. He then signed a contract to fight four times with the UFC.

Fighting in the UFC

Stefan's first UFC fight was at UFC 95. He lost to Junior dos Santos in the first round. Dos Santos attacked him with many punches.

Stefan won his next fight at UFC 99 in June 2009. He fought Denis Stojnić. Stefan was bleeding a lot in the first round. But he kept fighting. In the second round, he got behind Stojnic. He then used a move called a rear naked choke. This is a type of submission where you squeeze your opponent's neck until they give up. Stefan won by submission.

At UFC 104 in October 2009, Stefan beat Chase Gormley. Chase had never lost a fight before. Most of this fight was on the ground. Stefan tried different submission moves. He then used a triangle choke to win. This win also earned him the "Submission of the Night" award.

Stefan then signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC. His first fight on this new contract was against Paul Buentello. Stefan won this fight by a majority decision. This means that most of the judges thought he won. After the fight, Stefan said he was not happy with how he fought.

On March 31, 2010, Stefan fought Roy Nelson. Nelson was a winner from The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights TV show. Nelson hit Stefan with a strong punch. Stefan was knocked out in the first round.

Stefan then faced Christian Morecraft at UFC 117. Christian had also never lost a fight. Christian was strong in the first round. But Stefan knocked him out in the second round. This win earned Stefan the "Knockout of the Night" bonus.

In September 2010, Stefan signed another four-fight contract with the UFC.

Stefan won against Sean McCorkle at UFC 124 in December 2010. He won by TKO in the first round. TKO means "Technical Knockout." This happens when a fighter cannot continue safely.

Stefan fought Travis Browne at UFC 130 in May 2011. Stefan tried a flying knee attack. But Browne hit him with a "superman punch." Stefan was knocked out.

At UFC on Versus 6 in October 2011, Stefan beat Pat Barry. Stefan took Barry to the ground. He then used a triangle armbar to win. This move earned him another "Submission of the Night" award.

Stefan won against Dave Herman at UFC on Fuel TV 1 in February 2012. He won by TKO in the second round.

Stefan was supposed to fight Mark Hunt at UFC 146. But Hunt got injured. So, Lavar Johnson fought Stefan instead. Stefan quickly won by an armbar in the first round. This was his third "Submission of the Night" bonus.

Stefan fought Stipe Miocic at UFC on Fuel TV 5 in September 2012. Miocic was undefeated. Stefan used his long reach well in the second round. He won the fight by TKO. Both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" honors for their exciting match.

Stefan finally fought Mark Hunt at UFC on Fuel TV 8 in March 2013. Hunt won by TKO in the third round. Hunt also broke Stefan's jaw with a punch.

Health Challenges

In August 2013, doctors found that Stefan had a heart condition. He had a leaking aortic valve and an enlarged heart. His aortic valve had only two parts instead of three. Doctors gave him medicine to treat this. By November 2013, his heart was getting better. He was allowed to start training again.

In April 2014, Stefan's manager said that doctors had cleared him to fight again. But at UFC 175 in July 2014, Stefan fainted in the dressing room. His heart rate was too high. The UFC canceled his fight to keep him safe. He was taken to the hospital.

Later Career and Retirement

Stefan returned to fighting in December 2014 at UFC on Fox 13. He lost to Alistair Overeem by knockout in the first round.

At UFC 190 in August 2015, Stefan fought Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. Stefan won by unanimous decision. This was only his second fight to end with the judges deciding the winner.

Stefan lost to Jared Rosholt by unanimous decision at UFC 193 in November 2015.

Stefan fought Antônio Silva at UFC Fight Night 87 in May 2016. He won by knockout in the first round. He hit Silva with a right hook, then a knee, and then elbows. This win earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus.

Stefan was supposed to fight Ruslan Magomedov. But Magomedov got a skin infection. So, Daniel Omielańczuk fought Stefan instead. Stefan won by submission in the second round.

Stefan was set to fight Junior dos Santos again in February 2017. But Stefan had to pull out because of a shoulder injury.

Stefan fought Alexander Volkov in September 2017. He lost by TKO in the third round. Even though he lost, this fight was very exciting. Both fighters earned the "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Stefan lost to Andrei Arlovski and Marcin Tybura by unanimous decision in 2018.

In February 2019, Stefan fought Marcos Rogério de Lima. This was the last fight on his contract. Stefan was knocked down early in the fight. But he came back and won by an arm-triangle choke in the second round. This win earned him another "Performance of the Night" award. After this fight, Stefan thought about retiring.

After thinking about it, Stefan signed a new six-fight contract with the UFC. He fought Ben Rothwell in December 2019. Stefan lost by TKO in the second round. The fight was a bit controversial. Rothwell accidentally hit Stefan in a sensitive area twice. The referee took a point away from Rothwell. But Stefan was hurt and Rothwell won soon after.

Stefan's last fight was against Tai Tuivasa at UFC 254 in October 2020. He lost by knockout in the first round.

On February 15, 2021, Stefan Struve announced that he was retiring from professional mixed martial arts.

Personal Life

In October 2013, Stefan's father, Jaap, passed away from cancer. Stefan has a heart condition called an enlarged heart and a bicuspid aortic valve. This means his heart valve has two flaps instead of three.

Stefan and his wife have a son named Tobi, who was born in 2020.

Awards and Achievements

Mixed Martial Arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (Two times): for his fights against Stipe Miocic and Alexander Volkov.
  • Performance of the Night (Two times): for his wins against Antônio Silva and Marcos Rogério de Lima.
  • Knockout of the Night (One time): for his win against Christian Morecraft.
  • Submission of the Night (Three times): for his wins against Chase Gormley, Pat Barry, and Lavar Johnson.
    • He is tied for the second most post-fight bonuses in UFC Heavyweight history (8).
  • He is tied for the third most finishes (wins that don't go to judges' decision) in UFC Heavyweight history (11).
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2009: Ranked #4 Newcomer of the Year
    • 2012: Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year
• Cage Gladiators
  • Cage Gladiators Heavyweight Champion (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

See also

In Spanish: Stefan Struve para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists