UFC 193: Preview and predictions
Holly Holm is Rousey’s toughest test to dateHistory will be made this Sunday when the UFC puts on its first stadium show from the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.This will also be the first time that both women’s championships are defended on the same night. Ronda Rousey, the biggest star in MMA will put her title and undefeated record on the line against legendary boxer Holly Holm in what is her toughest stylistic matchup to date.Meanwhile, strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk faces Canadian Valerie Letourneau in the co-main event of the evening.Elsewhere, Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva will square off in a rematch of their classic fight, which famously ended in a draw. Robert Whittaker will face Uriah Hall and a heavyweight contest between Stefan Struve and Jared Rosholt rounds up the main card.
#1 Stefan Struve [27-6] vs. Jared Rosholt [13-2]
Stefan Struve has had a rather strange career trajectory. Despite injuries having an unchangeable effect on his journey, Struve marches on, looking to build a win streak.
Jared Rosholt is 5-1 in the UFC but has hardly captured the imagination of the masses. He may be winning, but none of his victories have been memorable.
A man with his UFC record is usually looking to make a push into the upper tier of the rankings, however, Rosholt’s name is barely whispered by most. Both fighters not only need a win, but a performance to match up too.
Struve has a reputation as a good kickboxer but surprisingly, most of his wins have been via submission. His submission prowess has allowed him to pull off some memorable wins. Struve’s biggest flaw is his inability to use his size and distance to his advantage.
Someone that tall, with that long a reach should not be getting hit as often as Struve is. Opponents have found getting on the inside all too easy and given the fact that Rosholt will be looking to take him down, Struve’s inadequacies could be brought to the forefront.
Struve has been showing signs of improvements at utilizing his range off late and will look to keep that trend going. He must take his opportunities to punish Rosholt whenever the American gets too close.
Jared Rosholt does not possess the knockout power most other heavyweights do. He usually forces the takedown and grinds his opponent out. It comes as no surprise that he isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
However, despite the fact that he could find it easier to take Struve down than some of the other fighters in the division, Struve is very comfortable off his back and Rosholt’s ability to inflict damage will be limited. Struve is too good off his back for Rosholt to have a chance on the ground.
Instead, Rosholt needs to test Struve’s battle weary chin. Despite his lack of power, Rosholt can still do some damage.
Rosholt is still a young fighter and who constantly works on improving his abilities. A loss here will not set him too far back, a win, on the other hand, however unlikely, could be huge for his career. Struve may be a bridge too far for Rosholt, who could use this opportunity to identify areas in his game that need improving.