So I just watched the Nog fight and I actually do see lots of improvements. I also see lots of things he needs to work on, but he can only get better at a camp like Blackzilians. (though working at a camp like Jacksons would be more beneficial for him in my opinion) Pros: - hes definitely using his jab a lot more now - lots of front kicks to the body - actually trying to circle instead of staying flat-footed like he has in his previous fights - TDD (though I never really thought of that as a problem for him) Cons: - I feel he is experiencing the problem Frank Mir had throughout his career where he would get out-muscled by smaller guys and get pushed to the fence (he should do more strength training) - he needs to put his hands out more (stick them fingers out there like...) - instead of constantly sticking to the plum when getting pressured push off and continue circling away while throwing the jab (he needs to keep repeating "distance distance DISTANCE" in his head) - knee down the middle to the face (he kept doing it to the body but I feel with his height he can catch someone good with a knee to the face) - he needs to utilize his elbows more when a fighter tries to close the distance (I saw him try one... just one) Spoiler There are a lot more pros/cons but I'm not going to go over all of them. All I can say is that I do see him putting in the work to get better which I always love seeing in a fighter. I was never a Struve fan (I'll admit I loved seeing him lose/get KTFO back in his previous fights), but I actually did enjoy watching him display some signs of brilliance last night (while being sick) and will continue to support him from now on. That being said, I think I was like the only person who enjoyed watching that fight last night. (not all of it but the parts where Struve actually does the right things) Message from Struve:
He looked like shit fighting a 50 year old punching bag, could barely keep his distance from Nog till the 3rd, I really don't know what the hell you're trying to get at.
In Stefan's defense, he was sick and throwing up all day yesterday even up to 2 hours before the fight according to what he said at the post fight press conference. He said he lost 8 lbs and was really dehydrated
In my opinion, he clearly beat Nog no problem. The only success Nog had was pushing him up against the fence while doing nothing. (and the one time he had his back and failed)
Agreed. IF they guys still doesn't understand how to use his range by now, when will he learn? He got tagged a bunch of times, and he won't be facing an old man clinging on to his career next. His coach must have been losing his mind watching that sad performance.
this. He didn't use his reach at all to maintain distance. He moved slow as hell, rarely punched in combinations, and had zero instinct. Tim Sylvia would of beaten the brakes off of Struve
LOL he shouldn't be throwing in combinations. Especially with his reach and disability to take hard shots. That would just leave him open for counters. What he should be doing is sticking to the jab, a one two, and MAYBE three at most. (even Jon Jones barely threw combinations) - jab - circle - jab - circle - straight right - circle - front kick - occasionally throw in them elbows/knees down the middle something like that.
This. During the third, I was thinking Stefan was looking good and settling into a nice jab and solid technique. Then I remembered it was against an opponent slowly moving straight forward without throwing anything. It was basically practice by then.
I thought he looked nearly as bad as Big Nog despite being over 10 years younger. He looked completely uninterested and afraid to do anything. The few times he threw the jab and leg kicks, he looked great but most of the time he was just walking around doing nothing. Head straight up, no defense and taking shots. He's already had a ton of fights. If he hasn't learned by now, he's not going to.
Even Zombie Nog was able to tag him a few times. I think that this guy will be totally punch drunk by the time he is 35...
He still hasn't established a good jab..He did use it a lot but it wasn't effective. Old man Nog was still able to rush in,land shots and clinch him without eating one. Cringeworthy defense with his head straight up,getting tagged by ancient nog doesn't look good. Still struggles to establish distance and keep people from pushing all around the cage...I doubt he will ever learn how to. Pretty sad seeing a giant fight like he has t-rex arms,he's gonna be punch drunk before hitting 30.
I thought it was a decent performance. He really turned it on in the 3rd round, and he was hitting Nog with everything. Also people forget how much of a beast Nog is in the clinch; he's a lot stronger than he looks, and he gave both Mir and Werdum problems when he had them along the fence. Moving to the Blackzilians was a great move for him, and he will progress with each successive fight. You could already see how training with Henri Hooft has been paying off with how much more he utilized his kicks in this fight.
He seems even slower and weaker though he finally started using jabs and front kicks He's either taken too much damage or just isn't athletic enough to be a contender. His reaction time and movement is just too slow and he is always getting cornered into the fence so he can't keep his range
