Check out the 12 longest reaches in UFC history – with a newcomer set to break the record by 2.5 inches.
As much as skill and technique play into how MMA fights unfold, intangibles can present insurmountable obstacles for even the most well-equipped combatant.
Long reaches, and how a fighter utilizes them, can pose a myriad of problems for opponents when they struggled to get inside. In UFC history, few fighters’ biological builds have surpassed 80 inches – and fewer have creeped toward 90 inches. But it’s happened.
At Saturday’s UFC 299, the all-time record for the longest reach will be broken – by 2.5 inches.
The 12 fighters have a combined professional MMA record of 210-74-2, including a combined UFC record of 85-47.
Check out the dozen fighters listed below who were able to touch up their opponents with punches from a farther distance than any others in history, using data from database Tapology.
Stefan Struve’s health is a concern and with a 6-month-old baby now, he knows he’s “not going to fight again.”
[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]’s fighting career has come to an end.
The heavyweight hung up his gloves in February after competing in MMA for 16 years, including 12 under the UFC banner. Like most fighters, Struve (29-13 MMA, 13-11 UFC) had his ups and downs, but still managed to have a long tenure in the UFC and was a contender for several years – something few are able to do in their careers.
The decision to call it quits was an easy one, he said, and one that had been brewing for some time. Struve had retirement on his mind, but damage to his vestibular system, causing him impaired hearing and loss of balance, made those thoughts come to reality.
“That was the final push. But of course, I already had the issue with my heart,” Struve told MMA Junkie. “Another thing that came up last year is that I caught a viral infection or bacterial infection in my inner ear, and it damaged the vestibular system and hearing nerve.
“At first, they thought there was some crystals traveling through my ear in the vestibular system that caused the balance issues and all that. But I kept having issues. I went through a training camp and all that, and then unfortunately in my last fight, I got caught in my right ear and some of the issues came back, and after the fight they got worse.
“I went back to the hospital and it took a while to get all the tests done because we’re still in lockdown (in Holland). Then the tests showed that the vestibular system is damaged with the hearing nerve. And for me, that was it – especially now with my 6-month-old son. I want to be healthy.”
Struve has no option now but to learn how to live with the issues. He thinks they’re mild and manageable and doesn’t want to continue fighting for fear of making them worse.
“When I’m doing my everyday things and even training, I can train and I can grapple – but I don’t want to take shots to the head anymore,” Struve said. “When I’m striking and I have to react really fast, I definitely feel it. I’m having issues with it, so it was just a smart decision.
“With some fast movements with my head, I have some issues. But I’ve learned how to live with it. Unfortunately, I do have some issues with my right ear. I don’t hear as good with my right ear and I have a ringing noise that changes in volume every now and then. It’s annoying. But fortunately, I can ignore it and it’s not really a big thing. It’s unfortunate that it’s damaged that way, but it happened.”
(USA TODAY Sports)
This is the second time Struve retired from MMA. The Dutch fighter walked away from the game in February 2019 and indicated he was done fighting after his submission win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima in Prague, Czech Republic. Struve earned a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus from that win.
But the retirement didn’t last long. He resumed his career later that year and clocked in two more fights before this latest retirement. Struve said this time the decision is definitive and his fighting career is a thing of the past.
“I’m not going to fight again,” Struve said. “I barely train. Also, because of the lockdown, it’s been hard. If the gym was open, I’d be teaching classes and rolling in those classes and all that. But everything has been closed for a good amount of time now. The country went back into lockdown around the time of my last fight in the end of October, and we’re in March. It looks like some things are finally starting to open back up again, but there are still a lot of things closed. It’s crazy.”
Although Struve is a seasoned veteran of the fight game and has seen it all, he’s just 33. The “Skyscraper” is in the works of starting a supplement company with his friend and should be ready to launch in the near future. But beyond that, Struve is unsure of what will come next, but he’s eager to find out.
“I already had a really long career, so people are shocked that I’m only 33, you know,” Struve explained. “I still have so many things I can do and I’m figuring out what I want to do. That’s the one thing for me – I really want to do something that I enjoy again because the last couple of years of my career, I didn’t fully enjoy it as much as I did in the start. I want to find something that really gets me going again.”
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Struve might not have reached UFC gold during his career, but still managed to do plenty and established himself as a force to be reckoned with at heavyweight. Struve holds notable wins over current champion Stipe Miocic, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Antonio Silva, Pat Barry and others. He also won eight “Performance of the Night” bonuses and headlined two UFC events.
Struve is happy with what he was able to achieve given the limitations from his heart condition. He leaves the fight game with many memories he holds fondly.
“I wish I would’ve been able to build off the Miocic win, but after that my health issue came up, and I really struggled to come back,” Struve said. “Looking back, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be.
“But the Stipe win with the knowledge we have now, that’s a huge one. Also, on my first win where I had a huge cut on my forehead – that’s a memory that I’ll never forget. UFC coming to Holland for the first time and fighting in the co-main event and knocking out ‘Bigfoot’ Silva in 16 seconds and just the noise with the eruption of the arena, that was insane. I made some cool memories and traveled the world, so it was super cool.”
To see the full interview with Struve, check out the video below.
Stefan Struve speaks to MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura about his decision to walk away from MMA, the health issues that led the to his retirement, his 12-year-career with the UFC, favorite moments, and much more.
Stefan Struve speaks to MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura about his decision to walk away from MMA, the health issues that led the to his retirement, his 12-year-career with the UFC, favorite moments, and much more.
A slew of health issues have forced Stefan Struve to walk away from MMA for good.
A slew of health issues have forced [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] to walk away from MMA for good.
Monday, the Dutch heavyweight announced he has retired from MMA and detailed his struggles with an inner ear issue that have caused him vertigo issues, loss of hearing and tinnitus. Struve mentioned he was contacted by the UFC this past week for a fight, but decided to decline and hang up his gloves.
In a long statement posted on Twitter, Struve (29-13 MMA, 13-11 UFC) described the ongoing battles and testing procedures he underwent to try to solve the issues with his vestibular system. But he said after suffering a first-round knockout to Tai Tuivasa in his final outing at UFC 254 this past October, many of those problems surfaced again.
What’s up everyone. I got an announcement to make today. It was a little too long so I had to improvise, you can read more in the attachement. I have decided to retire from professional fighting. Thank you all for the support 🙏🏻❤️ pic.twitter.com/z2eZAALUoP
Struve was a heavyweight contender for much of his 24-fight UFC career. His best run came from 2011-2012, when he notched four straight stoppage wins, including a knockout of current UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic.
“The Skyscraper” had mixed results after that, but went the distance only twice in 29 pro wins. His most recent victory came in February 2019 when he submitted Marcos Rogerio de Lima in a “Performance of the Night” effort.
Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 254 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $215,000.
ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 254 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $215,000.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC 254 took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
The full UFC 254 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2020 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
Both fighters badly needed a win, but it was Tai Tuivasa who got the job done.
Both [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] and [autotag]Stefan Struve [/autotag] came into their UFC 254 bout in need of a win.
Tuivasa (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) had three straight losses entering their heavyweight fight, while Struve (29-13 MMA, 13-11 UFC) had dropped four of his past five. Tuivasa was better able to translate his sense of urgency into action in the cage, as he pushed the pace and caused the “Skyscraper” to topple in the final second of the opening round. The time of the TKO finish was 4:59 of the opening round at Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
“It’s been awhile, been awhile,” Tuivasa said afterward. “It’s good to be back.”
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The 7-foot-tall Struve attempted to dictate the fight’s range by throwing kicks in the early going, but Tuivasa wasn’t having it. He immediately started in on leg kicks and often followed up by throwing looping combos and then closing the distance. Struve would inevitably clinch, but this became less effective as the fight wore on.
By late in the round, Tuivasa dictated the tempo, closed the distance and really picked up the pace. It appeared Struve was going to survive a big final flurry, but Tuivasa connected on an uppercut to the jaw, which dropped Struve and ended the fight.
The win was the ninth KO/TKO finish of Tuivasa’s career. Struve’s second straight loss was also the 10th time he’s been finished in his career.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 254 results:
Tai Tuivasa def. Stefan Struve via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:59
Tai Tuivasa returns to the octagon at UFC 254 when he takes on Stefan Struve.
[autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag] is set to make his return to the octagon on “Fight Island.”
Tuivasa (9-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) will face [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) in a heavyweight bout at UFC 254, which takes place on Oct. 24 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, UFC officials announced on Thursday.
After amassing a perfect 9-0 record with three UFC wins, Tuivasa has dropped his past three to Junior dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov and, most recently, Sergey Spivak at UFC 243 in October.
Struve has also been struggling as of late, losing four of his past five fights. His lone win came in a “Performance of the Night” submission of Marcos Rogerio de Lima in February 2019.
With the addition, the UFC 254 lineup includes:
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje – for UFC lightweight title
Dutch UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve says he doubts the UFC will return to Europe for the forseeable future following the coronavirus crisis.
The MMA world waits in hope for the sport to bounce back once the novel coronavirus pandemic has subsided. But one UFC fighter is keeping his expectations low regarding a potential fight on home soil in late 2020.
Speaking to the Epic MMA Podcast in the Netherlands, Dutch UFC heavyweight [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] said he thought the promotion had plans for an event in his homeland, but admitted he is unsure if it will return to the schedule when MMA eventually gets back on its feet again.
“I was in talks with the UFC for this summer, but I don’t think that it will continue,” said Struve (via translation from Epic MMA’s Giovanni Tjin). “The UFC was planning to come to Europe this summer but I don’t think they are going to go to locations overseas now.”
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The UFC has held two events in the Netherlands in the past, both in Rotterdam, but Struve (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) hinted that the promotion was considering a different city before the coronavirus threw all their plans up into the air.
“Well, they were looking at the Netherlands. I cannot say a lot more than that,” he said. “I also have no idea which of those plans will continue (post-coronavirus). They wanted to go to another (Dutch) city to the last two times. It sounded really good, but we can probably cross that one out.”
MMA Junkie’s John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack the latest MMA news and notes in Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”
Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode, John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to what transpired at UFC on ESPN 7 and preview what’s to come this Saturday at UFC 245.
Show rundown:
[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] at UFC DC. He was getting mostly dominated and on his way to a guaranteed decision loss before a huge right hand knocked out Overeem (and shattered his lip) with four seconds remaining in the fifth round. Rozenstruik remains undefeated at 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the UFC. But after that performance, are we buying or selling him as a legit contender at heavyweight?
[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] delivered a pair of painful groin’ kicks to [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] at UFC DC, then went on to score a TKO victory – but not before referee Dan Miragliotta advised Struve to continue fighting. Since when should a referee be offering fighters advice during a fight?
[autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] made history as the first woman to step inside the octagon back in 2013. More recently, she competed for a UFC title again earlier this year but lost to flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. Carmouche, 4-2 in her last six fights, was released last Friday by the UFC – get this – while she was in Washington D.C. doing a promotional tour with troops for the promotion. What do we make of her unceremonious exit, and what’s next for her?
It’s UFC 245 fight week, which means we’re on the verge of finally seeing [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] clash with [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], who’s been promoting the heck out of this showdown, but has he gone too far?
Speaking of UFC 245, there are two other big title fights on the card: [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] and [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] 2. Which challenger is more likely to win? And which “old dog” on the main card is more likely to turn back the clock: [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] or [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]?
For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 6 of “Spinning Back Clique.”
