UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve took off his gloves and held back tears, declaring that this could be the last time we see him inside the octagon.
He’s just not sure.
Struve (29-11 MMA, 13-9 UFC) came away a winner Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 3, rallying to submit Marcos Rogerio de Lima in the second round of their co-headliner at O2 arena in Prague, Czech Republic.
Afterward, during an emotional interview inside the octagon, Struve cited past problems with his heart and fighting beyond his previous timeline of five more years as reasons why his career could be over.
“This is something that I’ve thought over a whole lot,” Struve said. “I think everybody is aware that my heart is not 100 percent. When I made my comeback I told myself that I would have about five years, and I’ve gone past that. My heart is good, but there’s a very good opportunity that this is my last fight. So, thank you very much.”
Struve paused for a moment. Then he continued.
“I took my gloves off. I’m not 100 percent sure yet,” he said. “It’s not a decision I’ve made right now. I lost my last three before this, and to get a win like this, a lot of people end their careers too late. I’m going to overthink it, so this is not 100 percent. But I feel this is a great moment.”
Struve, 31, has been a professional fighter since 2005. The 6-foot-11 “Skyscraper” made his UFC debut in February 2009 with a TKO loss to former champion Junior Dos Santos. Struve’s finish on Saturday was the 11th of his UFC career, second most in heavyweight history behind only Frank Mir’s 13.
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