Stefan Struve: “It is a One or Two Round Fight, Depending on When I Finish [Miocic]”

STUDIO MMA, RIVERSIDE, CA – 24-year-old Stefan Struve is set to headline his first UFC event this weekend at UFC on Fuel TV 5, facing highly touted and undefeated Stipe Miocic.

Since suffering a 2011 knockout loss to Travis Browne, Struve has rattled off three consecutive finishes over Pat Barry, Dave Herman and Lavar Johnson. Browne was the last opponent Struve faced with an unblemished record, which didn’t turn out so well.

Nevertheless, Struve is confident in his skill set and even gives his prediction on the five-round fight.

Five round fight? It’s not a five round fight,” Struve said. “This isn’t going five. It is a one or two round fight, depending on when I finish him. I am not worried about going five rounds if it happens, I hit pads for an hour at a time and every Thursday at my gym it is pretty much fight night where we do 15 x five minute rounds. I’ve changed nothing in my training. If it goes longer, okay, but I think this is a quick fight.

Struve is aware of what a win over the undefeated Miocic can do for his career.

A win here puts me in the top five in the world. There’s a lot of hype on this guy and he’s also coming off a big win. I’m only 24 but this is my twelfth fight in the UFC. I am going to do my business on Saturday night. I’ve been in the UFC for five years and I am really putting it together now as a mixed martial artist. I think this fight is a great showcase of what I can now do as a fighter.

(Photo via UFC.com)