UFC 175: Matt Mitrione vs. Stefan Struve Fight Breakdown

Heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Stefan Struve are set to collide on the main card at UFC 175, with ‘Meathead’ looking extend his win streak to two, and ‘The Skyscraper’ returning from a year off. The Dutch kickboxer was stricken with career threatening heart problems after losing to Mark Hunt mid-2013, and will be looking to make a big impression against Mitrione.

‘Meathead’ got performance of the night for his first round KO of Shawn Jordan at The Ultimate Fighter: China Finals, and will have righted the ship if he can get past the bigger man in Struve at 175. So without further ado, let’s see how these Goliath heavyweights stack up:

Wrestling:

If you ask me, this fight is likely to take place on the feet, but don’t underestimate the strength that Mittrione brings from being a former All-American defensive tackler. Struve’s lanky seven-foot frame means that he has a very tricky guard, but also provides wrestlers with good leverage.

At 6 ft 3 in and 260 pounds, Mittrione has a good body type, and also a great training camp with the Blackzilians. I wouldn’t say that wrestling is his forte, but I’m going to give ‘Meathead’ the offensive edge at 60-40

Submissions:

What we know about Struve’s guard is that he likes to throw the legs high and try to pick subs, couple this with his 16 career submissions and brown belt in BJJ, and could well call Struve an accomplished MMA grappler. Mittrione will probably want to avoid sitting in the big man’s guard, in my opinion.

”Meathead’ got slept at UFC 165 by Brendan Schaub, with a nifty d’arce choke, but you’d imagine he will have put in a lot of defensive ground work for Struve. All considered, I’m giving Struve the nod at 60-40

Striking:

This is the most intriguing department for me, and also the hardest to choose from. Mittrione has been pinged once in 10 fights, by the right hand of Roy Nelson, and Struve has been KOd in five of his six losses. As heavyweights though, you can’t really say that chin strength is the overall quality to judge on.

Seven knockouts from 25 outings for ‘The Skyscraper’, and a six sparks from seven make Mittrione the more efficient finisher, but then Struve has the 2.5 inch reach advantage. Both guys have black belts in stand up combat, and it really is a tough one to separate. I have to call it 50-50 on this one.

Who do you think will prevail at UFC 175, the returning ‘Skyscraper’ or the former NFL Viking Matt Mitrione?