Struve vs. Buentello
One of the main card bouts for UFC 107 is a heavyweight contest between UFC veterans Stefan Struve and Paul Buentello.
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Struve enters the fight as the favorite according to online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com, as he has a betting line of -140 while Buentello has a line of +110 Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this main event bout, which will take place from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn. on Saturday at 10PM ET on Pay-Per View.
Stefan Struve (22-3)
Strengths: At 6-11, Struve is a very tall and long fighter who utilizes powerful kicks and a nice jab to capitalize on his size. When the fight gets to the ground, Struve uses his long legs to control his opponent and lock in submissions. Struve has a lot of potential as he is an athletic fighter with natural gifts in terms of wingspan and height.
Weaknesses: Struve has been suspect to the knockout, as he was quickly disposed of by top heavyweight Junior Dos Santos. In this fight, he will be facing an opponent looking to strike, so he will need to avoid any big exchanges. Struve hasn’t really beaten a fighter the caliber of Buentello, so this would be a big step up for the Holland native.
Last Five Fights:
First round submission win over Chase Gormley at UFC 104 on Oct. 24, 2009
Second round submission win over Denis Stojnic at UFC 99 on June 13, 2009
First round TKO loss to Junior Dos Santos at UFC 95 on Feb. 21, 2009
Second round submission win over Mario Neto at CG 10 on Nov. 29, 2008
First round submission win over Ralf Wonnink at KOE on Oct. 5, 2008
Paul Buentello (25-10)
Strengths: Buentello is a crisp striker that mixes in kicks and punches well. He is not someone that is impressive physically, but Buentello is surprisingly light on his feet and moves well while striking. Buentello has overwhelmed a number of fighters with his powerful striking and once contended for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.
Weaknesses: Buentello has not struggled much against submission fighters, but his biggest losses came from getting knocked out or beaten in kickboxing. Fighting a longer fighter in Struve on Saturday shouldn’t be a problem as Buentello has quicker hands, but if he leaves himself open as he has in the past, he could get rocked.
Last Five Fights:
Third round TKO win over Kirill Sidelnikov at Affliction 2 on Jan. 24, 2009
Unanimous decision win over Gary Goodridge at Affliction 1 on July 19, 2008
Second round submission loss to Alistair Overeem at Strikeforce on Nov. 16, 2007
Second round KO win over Carter Williams at Strikeforce on June 22, 2007
Second round TKO over Ruben Villareal at Strikeforce on Dec. 8, 2006
Who will win: Struve may be the favorite, but this fight seems to favor Buentello, who should have no problem out-striking his taller opponent. Getting Buentello down to the ground isn’t easy, and his submission defense is not terrible if the fight gets to the ground. Look for Buentello to overwhelm Struve on his feet for the first round TKO.
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Posted: 12/12/09 12:00PM ET