Does the Ben Rothwell-Stefan Struve loser get axed?
Sure, that sub-headline might be a bit harsh, but let’s face it: The [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]-[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] duo has collectively been a part of the UFC for 20 years and are a combined 1-6 in their past seven fights.
Even in a heavyweight division in which fighters seem to have a longer leash for things like prolonged losing streaks than other UFC weight classes, that combination of factors seems to portend bad things for the loser of this bout.
Particularly Rothwell (36-12 MMA, 6-6 UFC). The 38-year old Wisconsinite hasn’t won a fight in nearly four years. Two of those years were spent on USADA suspension. He’s shown little since his return, dropping three straight unanimous decisions. The latter of those, a one-side loss to Arlovski, accounted for Arlovski’s only victory in his past five fights. There’s going to be real pressure for Rothwell to produce this time out.
Struve’s case is a little different. Struve (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) is only 31. The Netherlands native also won the last time out, submitting Marcos Rogério de Lima at UFC Prague. But he’s also got more tread on the tires than his age would seem to indicate. And he lost three in a row before UFC Prague. And he’s got a decade-long body of UFC work which suggests he’s probably not ever going to contend for the title. A loss to someone in Rothwell’s position would likely mean the UFC takes a long look at whether Struve’s time is done.
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