Struve vs. Hunt

This is the official discussion thread for Struve vs. Hunt. Let's see what you've got.

Why do people/commentators always say that Struve has gotten better at using his reach and height when he never does? He was letting Hunt get inside on him most of the fight. I think it's time to give up on Struve as anything more than a gatekeeper.

@joe kerr, what grappling did you see from Hunt that I didn't? On both times it went to the ground he was completely outclassed, he was easily swept from the bottom on both occasions ... and the submissions he "defended" were lazy and sloppy at best. Even Junior Dos Santos could have defended them (heh heh, I'm going to get down thumbed to oblivion for that, but it was worth it :) )

The only reason he wasn't finished was Struve being overanxious, not Hunt's grappling.

Struve seriously needs to fix up his defense otherwise he'll be punch drunk in no time. 

@ yossgold, Hunt outclassed him in every way. Hunt grappled with Struve and leg swept him to the ground. Was awsome to watch. Especially Hunts ground game, outclassed Struve on his feet and on the ground. The flexability of Hunt on the ground was amazing. Struve tried his best to pull gaurd and apply "sloppy" submissions, either way, Hunt was just to good and avoided every attempt at submission. Struve was just not in the same leage as Hunt.

Hunt wasnt finished not due to Struve being "overanxious" lol, he was outclassed in every way shape and form.

Once Hunt clipped him on the chin, Struve was scared, you could see it in his eyes. Oh well, credit to Struve for lasting into the third. I did not see that comming.

Into the TOP 10 you go Hunty. Absolute legend.

@Signal1, I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on Hunt's grappling then ...

@ yossgold, Im not saying Hunt is a superior grappler, just that he was better on the day. Struve had no answers at all (except maybe the mounts lol). Only my humble opinion my freind, and I respect yours as well.

Cant wait to see both of their next fights, and who those challengers may be.

@Signal1, I know what you were saying, and I still say that Struve was better on the ground against Hunt.

He got a beautiful sweep as soon as they went to the ground in the first round (which he wouldn't have got against a grappler who's a bit better than Hunt) and got relatively easy mounts both times, that to me is superior grappling.

Plus, Hunt wasn't going anywhere until he he went for armbars without taking the arm ... seriously, watch the first armbar attempt ... he let go of the arm and put his legs over ... he let go of the arm ... in an armbar attempt ... until that point he was controlling Hunt on the ground ... in the second round it was a bit closer, but Struve still got the mount quite easily and was controlling him until he went for that weird armbar ...

I'm not trying to put Hunt down, I love the dude ... I just think that if Struve had a higher fight IQ he'd have finished the fight.

But like you said, it's only my opinion and by no means am I a BJJ expert ...

* Edited at 03.03.2013, 6:16 AM ET *

Epic picture from the real H-bomb

That's a great picture man.

So happy for the Japanese fans getting to see Hunt and Silva win.

Yup ... and if Gomi hadn't been robbed it would've been the perfect PRIDE-revisited night :)

* Edited at 03.03.2013, 10:33 AM ET *

not to mention struve has one of the weakest chins in mma...well, for a heavyweight anyways, no matter how good his game develops, and how good hes getting on the feet, his jaw is what holds him back. its funny, cause i feel brendan shcaub has the same issue...sounds like we got a fight right there

So because Struve doesn't know how to keep his hands up he has a weak chin? All the punches that have knocked him out would knock out any human being. Struve took some huge shots from Hunt and didn't go down. His chin isn't the problem it's his striking defense. 

I would like to see a Struve/Schaub fight. It makes sense right now.

Struves ability to take a punch has gone up significantly. Since he has been putting on weight he is able to take harder shots, but nobody should be getting hit by Mark Hunt so many times and expect to be standing.

@serimuth 100% agree

Struve fought as if he were either drugged or the fix was in.  He stood there passively, with his hands in front of his face, patiently waiting to get slugged.  

Why wasn't his ******* jab in Hunt's face, keeping him on the outside?  ****, Struve can kick you from across the cage!  Why wasn't he engaging?  Why didn't he fight like he meant it?

Struve gave the fight away and I'm damned pissed at him for refusing to fight!

Struve never even showed up last night.  He stayed home in the US and mailed it in.  

* Edited at 03.03.2013, 1:54 PM ET *

I agree w/ you @Bill (except for the fix part).  Struve did not look like Struve at all.  It was odd.  Props to Hunt though.

This was the weirdest fight to watch ... it was like both guys wanted the other to beat them .. 

The best part of this fight besides the KO, was the fact that ever time Struve went for a armbar, Hunt's arms were to small for Struve to fully get the submission.

@ Bill Burgess - sometimes you can be one of the most intelligent posters on these forums, and other times what you have to say can just baffle me. What fight were you watching? I thought both fighters fought very well, and were tenative in certain areas of the fight to try and avoid getting drawn into the other's type of fight. Hunt wanted to avoid going to the ground with Struve, and Struve wanted to fight a technical fight on the feet to avoid getting into a slugfest with Hunt. IMO, Struve actually did a very good job of that in the first two rounds, and Hunt did a very good job of staying on the ground too long with Struve.

Struve took Hunt down, and attempted submissions, but Hunt showed a very much improved ground defense, and ability to get back to his feet. Struve showed some great improvements in his stand-up defense, and the ability to take big punches, but Hunt has punches that will accumulate damage over the course of the fight. By the third round they were both wore out (HWs do that over the course of 3-5minute rounds more often than not). Struve had no strength left to get the fight to ground, and Hunt had just enough left in the tank to throw the punches that he threw to end the fight. Hunt, whether he's worn out or not, has the most dangerous hands in the HW division, and Struve took some big shots from Hunt throughout the fight, but I don't care who you are, you can't take too many Mark Hunt punches.

A broken jaw is a clear statement that fight wasn't fixed. To say or imply that this fight was fixed, or that either fighter didn't fight well is absolutely disrespectful and uncalled to both fighters. I personally thought it was a great fight. IMO, both fighters gave it everything that they had, and left it all in the cage.