(Stefan Struve: Tall, young, and Dutch as fuck.)
From short-notice replacements, to submission specialists, to big-ass heavyweights, the UFC will be rolling the dice on a lot of new talent this Saturday at UFC 95, as six of the 20 fighters on the card have never fought in the Octagon before. So which ones will rise to the occasion and which ones are three days away from the most high-profile losses of their careers? Check out the brass-tacks briefing below and draw your own conclusions…
PAULO THIAGO (WW)
?Experience: 10-0 record (7 wins by submission) in Brazilian leagues including Jungle Fight and Storm Samurai.
Will be facing: Josh Koscheck (12-3, 10-3 UFC)
?Lowdown: Well, he’s a brave son-of-a-bitch, for one thing. Thiago is a member of BOPE (Special Police Operations Battalion), a Brazilian SWAT-style unit known for fighting the heavily armed drug gangs of Rio de Janeiro. Amnesty International has repeatedly accused the outfit of excessive force in their operations — and Paulo will need some of it when he goes up against one of the UFC’s top five welterweights in his Octagon debut. Thiago is undefeated, and looks great against scrubs, but the jump in competition here is massive. Still, it’s MMA, and a Dos Santos/Werdum-caliber upset is always a possibility.
STEFAN STRUVE (HW)
?Experience: 16-2 record (12 wins by submission), fighting all over Europe. Holds submission wins over UFC vets Colin Robinson and Mario Neto, and has never gone past the second round in any fight.
Will be facing: Junior Dos Santos (7-1, 1-0 UFC)
?Lowdown: Nicknamed "The Skyscraper," Struve stands 6’8" and weighs just 220 pounds. As if his beanpole frame doesn’t make him enough of an anomaly in the UFC’s heavyweight class, he’s also a submission whiz, which will put him at odds with the division’s big wrestlers and strikers. The 21-year-old (as of today) Holland native has been competing professionally since he was 17, and now calls Team Schrijber his home. As Struve told Fighters Only: "I think I can beat most of the guys [in the UFC]. They have five or six really good heavyweights. The other guys…not so good, I think."
BRIAN COBB (LW)
?Experience: 15-4 record (10 wins by submission), with multiple appearances in Gladiator Challenge and Palace Fighting Championship.
Will be facing: Terry Etim (11-2, 2-2 UFC)
?Lowdown: PFC’s reigning lightweight champion stepped in on one week’s notice to replace Justin Buchholz, who had to pull out of the fight with Etim after picking up a nasty staph infection on his arm. Cobb was a standout wrestler at Cal State Bakersfield, was introduced to MMA by Urijah Faber, and is now riding a nine-fight win streak. His new four-fight contract with the UFC forced him to withdraw from Saturday’s M-1 Challenge season opener, where he was scheduled to represent Team USA West against Brazil’s Flavio Roberto Alvaro. If you’re really curious, you can check out a 2006 video interview with Cobb here.
MIKE CIESNOLEVICZ (HW)
?Experience: 16-3 record, with multiple appearances in the IFL (where he competed as a light-heavyweight) and smaller midwestern promotions like Extreme Challenge. Has only lost once in his last ten fights.
Will be facing: Neil Grove (7-1, 0-0 UFC)
?Lowdown: Mike C. comes in to replace Justin McCully, who suffered a facial laceration during a training session earlier this month, and was forced to pull out of his fight against Grove. Hailing from the renowned Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa, Ciesnolevicz was a 205-pound standout in the IFL, where he picked up wins against guys like Alex Schoenauer (twice) and Aaron Stark. Entering the UFC in an unfamiliar weight class would be daunting for some, but Ciesnolevicz says he’s used to the big bodies from training regularly with Tim Sylvia, Ben Rothwell, and Brad Imes. Considering his opponent Neil Grove cuts weight to make 265, that experience should be helpful.
NEIL GROVE (HW)
?Experience: 7-1 record (all wins by KO/TKO) with multiple appearances in Cage Rage, where he was the #1 heavyweight contender at one point. Holds wins over James Thompson (via 10-second KO) and Robert "Buzz" Berry (twice).
Will be facing: Mike Ciesnolevicz
?Lowdown: A classic heavy-handed British slugger, Goliath may not be the most graceful big man, but between his size and knockout power he could give the much smaller Mike C. major problems on Saturday. The 6’6" heavyweight is a black belt in G?j?-ry? karate, and in this video promo, Gary Shaw says he could be a "stratospheric star." Hopefully that’s not a kiss of death…
EVAN DUNHAM (LW)
?Experience: 7-0 record (five wins by submission) in various regional promotions like Rise Fighting Championships and Desert Brawl.
Will be facing: Per Eklund (14-3-1, 1-1 UFC)
?Lowdown: Even though he fought just a month ago, picking up a submission win over Dustin Akbari at PFC 12, Dunham agreed to step in on two weeks notice and replace David Baron, who had to pull out of his fight against Eklund due to injury. Though he lives in Oregon, Dunham has been training at Xtreme Couture lately, and he’s really psyched for the opportunity, which came as a surprise to him. As he told MMA Junkie, "To me, a loss is devastating. I don’t want to lose. To me, it’s imperative that I win this fight. If you watch my fight, you’re guaranteed to see a fighter go in and put his heart and soul and everything he’s got out there and leave it all out on the mat…I just hope to gain fans that way and be known as a fighter who gives it his all and will never stop."
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Comments
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:27
Whoa...I'm really looking forward to the Dos Santos/Struve fight.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:30
Grove looks like he has no technique at all. Just swings crazily while praying one will land.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:30
what CP didnt tell you is that "stephan" is pronounced "stepf-han". And the height was ment to be listed at 4'8. And the actual fighter is that boot camp drill sargent lady standing next to the young man.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:33
Struve looks like a very angry boy. Like he's been called ginger 10 too many times.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:34
i agree with struve's opinion of the heavyweight roster.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:38
It's great that Struve has John Alessio in his corner, but what's with the makeup?
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:39
Struve by submission round 3 (Dutch Oven in North/South Position)
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:42
first!!!!! yes im soo fucking cool. noone here even thought about saying first but guess who did???? I DID!!! hahaha you guys suck hahaha all of you. no lifers
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:46
My anus can whistle "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday. True story.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 12:54
@ scorchamatic I'm sure you do that in public bathroom stalls while tapping your foot. Homo.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:02
josh koscheck is a scrub, the newbs gonna kick his ass
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:08
I wonder why the UFC doesn't give more back stories and info on their new fighters the way you guys do here, when I make my fantasy picks on UFC.com I am not sure who is who, so this helps a lot....thanks.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:10
Fuck Stefan Struve. I want to see that bullish dyke in the back fight Koscheck.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:10
Er I don't know why I was thinking Koscheck, but you all get the picture.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:11
T T T ( CAPTAIN OBVIOUS FARTS DILDOS)
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:12
*mister
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:13
@ BIG CHRIS no doubt. it would be nice to know. but i don't think they're willing to spend any more time on a potential prospect unless he starts winning fights. also, they might not have any footage of the fighters since it's their ufc debut and they wouldn't wanna promote another organization by showing footage of their shows. it would just be too much work and would leave people wondering, "hey, what the hell happened to that tall ginger kid who lost two fights in a row?"
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:19
@ scorchamatic well what kind of response were u expecting from a dumb statement like that?
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:22
Hai guyz! I'm new to mma and this forum (LOLZ) and am really excited to be here. I was wondering if you guyz think it's possible that maybe one day Fedro will stop ducking Kimbo so we can finally get to see who's the real G.O.A.T. Dana, make it happen!
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:23
Kimbo by omoplatta 30 seconds into the first round.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:33
@ TUF Guy I'll tell you like i told my son- "Shut the fuck up and go play in traffic already! I wish I could have a homemade abortion and skull fuck you to death...what a waste of an orgasm you were"
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:38
Haha, LLOL'd at "Dutch as fuck". The extra L is for literally.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 01:51
For the record, the shirt that Mr. and Mr. Bob Schrijber are wearing is their main sponsor, Canna. Canna: the nutritious energy drink, based on Cannabis. Over in Holland, their literature shows a picture of Dirty Bob without a shirt on, pouring a two liter of it directly into his mouth. ....and yes, that is his wife.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 02:29
"Dutch as fuck." Hahahahaha!
Wed, 02/18/09 - 02:54
hmm that canna stuff does sound interesting but struve must drink a case a day if he thinks he wont get broken into at least 3 by the ufc hvys
Wed, 02/18/09 - 03:10
I was unaware that Edwin Dewess corners for gigantic Dutchmen and wears lipstick.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 03:28
Thiago is part of BOPE, watch the movie "Elite Squad" to see who they are, awsome movie too btw
Wed, 02/18/09 - 03:52
28th. Where's my fuckin prize, bitches? j/k
Wed, 02/18/09 - 05:33
erm, Neil Grove is South African..
Wed, 02/18/09 - 06:36
That caption is classic!! "dutch as fuck" lol
Wed, 02/18/09 - 06:41
grove fights like tank abbott. nothing to see here. moving along.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 06:46
when's ARod coming?
Wed, 02/18/09 - 07:02
I would not want to fight the chick (dude?) on the left.
Wed, 02/18/09 - 07:52
Neil Grove > Robert "Buzz" Berry > Ken Shamrock > Alexander Otsuka > Marco Ruas > Jason Lambert > Renato "Babalu" Sobral > Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou > Antonio Rogerio Nogueira > Tsuyoshi Kohsaka > Fedor Emelianenko
Wed, 02/18/09 - 09:02
Little does everyone know that is actually The Tapout Crew without their makeup/wigs/oilcovered rags/bandana. In order from left to right: Punkass, Skyscraper, Mask.
Thu, 02/19/09 - 04:49
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