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Interview with Thiago Alves. Worth reading. I am thinking about betting on him.
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Interview with Thiago Alves. Worth reading. I am thinking about betting on him.1 unit = 300 $ -
Stefan Struve is in no hurry.
The 23-year-old Dutchman is well aware that his career is just beginning, despite having 25 professional fights to his credit. Struve has racked up a 5-2 record since joining the UFC in 2009, his only Octagon losses coming to heavyweight contenders Junior dos Santos and Roy Nelson.
Both defeats came in the first round, both by knockout.
While some might obsess over such setbacks and plead for quick rematches, Struve speaks of the defeats casually, confidently explaining that he will get his shot at redemption -- and the heavyweight title -- in due time. According to Struve, the only fight on his mind is the one he will have against fellow prospect Travis Browne at UFC 130 on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“To be honest, I’m not really thinking about [avenging those losses or earning a title shot]. The only thing in my mind right now is that I have to fight Travis Browne,” Struve tells Sherdog.com. “The nice thing with my career is that I just turned 23. There’s no rush. I’m only going to get better in the coming years, so it’s not like I need to beat those guys right now. I’ve got plenty of time.”
Though the undefeated Browne did not impress in turning out a draw in his Octagon debut against Cheick Kongo at UFC 120, Struve still expects fireworks in his fight with the Hawaiian.
“He was disappointed with his performance against Kongo. The first round was OK, but [that fight] didn’t tell me much,” Struve says. “I expect him to come out and push the pace, especially in the first round. He’s got heavy hands and kicks, so I need to watch out and not get hit. But I think it’s going to be one hell of a fight, especially for the crowd.”
The tallest man in the UFC, Struve has used his 6-foot-11 frame to turn back most who have opposed him in the cage. According to Struve, however, he is still in the process of learning how to use his natural gifts to the best of his ability.
ks vs. Browne.
“The small, stocky guys might be stronger, but if you know how to use your reach and use your body in the perfect way, I think that’s a big advantage,” he says. “I’m trying my best to use my reach to its fullest, and I’m getting better at that with every single fight.
“One example is Jon Jones’ guillotines,” Struve adds. “If you look at how he locks it up and how much strength he can deliver, that’s a great example of how long arms or legs can be good on the ground. And if you look at my record, I don’t even know how many wins I have by triangle. I have a lot of submission wins. In my opinion, [ground fighting] is easier, because [I can attempt] submissions from weird angles.”
Struve has dedicated himself to fortifying his considerable natural gifts with improved standup and ground work since his most recent appearance in the Octagon netted him a first-round technical knockout victory over Sean McCorkle at UFC 124.
“I think that all of the aspects of my game have improved since my last fight. I hired [UFC pioneer] Remco Pardoel as my jiu-jitsu trainer. In my opinion, my ground game has improved a lot [between] my last couple of fights,” he says. “I have a great team and great sparring partners. I’m also training with [Dream light heavyweight champion] Gegard Mousasi’s team -- with [K-1 fighter] Daniel Ghita -- so I think I’ve improved a lot.”
Outside of improving his technique, the young heavyweight is also packing on the pounds. Although Struve admits he will need to beef up in order to contend with the division’s more powerful contenders, it comes as no surprise that the lanky prospect approaches this aspect of his training deliberately, as well.
“The last time I checked my weight, I was 262 [pounds]. We don’t want to do it too fast. After every fight, we just want to get a little bigger and a little stronger. If you do it too fast, you’re going to lose cardio and speed and agility. We don’t want that. I’m only 23 years old, and I’m going to get a lot bigger naturally,” says Struve, detailing his timeline for adding mass to his frame. “I think in two to three years, I’ll be up around 290 [pounds]. I’m adding about five to seven pounds after [every fight]. I just want to keep my body running as smoothly as possible, but I do want to get bigger and stronger. And I need to, because the guys in that division are monsters.”Comment
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struve will be pretty good someday. He is pretty decent now.1 unit = 300 $Comment
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At first I thought Browne would probably wreck Struve in round 1, but I don't know. Browne was not that impressive against Kongo at all. If it goes to round 2 and 3 I have a feeling Struve will be able to take over. I kind of like Struve @+120. Thoughts?Comment
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I think Struve is the better all around fighter but Browne did catch Kongo quite a few times. I don't like betting fights where giant guys are throwing huge power. Anyone can get knocked out. I do like Struve as a dog though. Bets I am considering so far: Struve, Mir, Mir by decision, Thiago alves, mike mcdonald, renan barao, and kendall grove.1 unit = 300 $Comment
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I am looking for the lines on Tibau, Grove, and Barao. I would like to get all 3 of them if they come in under -300. I also like Torres, Stann, and Rampage.
I already have a magic parlay going as well for 5u.
I will probably have a lot of action on this card, it is going to be one of those pivotal cards of the year for me I think.2012: +19.33
2012 Parlay project: +16.5uComment
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Barao seems good but I do remember reading the play by play on one of his fights and seeing him lose one of the rounds. Not that he stinks because of that or anything. I don't really know much about Jorge Santiago. That seems risky.1 unit = 300 $Comment
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Not much I really like on this card. Grove if his line isnt too high, maybe Tibau.Comment
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I actually think Nelson is a very good bet. Nelson's hands are plenty good enough to clip Mir. And when he does clip him, one of two things will happen. #1, Mir will fold, or #2, Mir will go into survival mode like he did the Cro cop fight. Also, Nelson IMO has good enough clinch takedowns to take Mir down if he wants to.
Mir MIGHT have slightly better stand up, but Nelson's chin and determination will make up for it.
Also think Browne beats Struve.
2 best bets IMO so far are Browne and Nelson.Comment
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I wonder where the Mir/Nelson line is going to go? I have a feeling we will see +140ish on Nelson come fight weekComment
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Browne will probably be able to keep Struve against the cage wall if he wants to. The only thing that conerns me is that Struve has a lot of power. He has dropped a lot of guys and is getting stronger and stronger. Browne was kind of raw in his fight with Kongo, although he was effective. Nelson-Mir I can't call tbh. Nelson can't run through all his punches. I think Mir hits pretty hard. He dropped Kongo and Kongo has never been knocked out before. Mirs hands aren't bad. Nelson is supposedly in the best shape of his life for this fight though so he might be a good bet.
So far I am considering Alves. He seems to be getting his weight issues under control. I will probably bet him pending weigh in pics. All Story's fights have been somewhat close and Alves only recent losses are to GSP and Fitch. He was coming off a horrible weight cut for Fitch as well. I am thinking about Kendall Grove as well, mostly because everyone seems to think he will win and Boestch doesn't seem to be that good though I will have to watch some tape.
Also, Tibau Mcdonald and Barao. My phone is ringing.1 unit = 300 $Comment
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Opened @ Torres -185/Johnson +145Comment
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down to -140 and even on 5 dimesComment
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