Dutch MMA fighter on the rise
With 25 wins (of which seven were knock outs) and just five losses, the Dutch Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Stefan Struve has rapidly climbed the international ranks. Now he is regarded as one of the biggest talents in this sport and is a solid top ten player. But his ambition is far from fulfilled: he wants to go all the way to the top and says, “I want to become the number one and stay there for as long as possible.”
MMA used to be known as “Free Fight,” but among the athletes there was discussion as to which martial arts specialist would be the strongest; karate, jujutsu, judo or boxing? Nowadays, MMA athletes are more complete fighters who have mastered both the standing fights as well as the ground fights. Rules and regulations have been established to create clarity about what is and is not allowed.
Struve (24) was just 14 when his elder brother took him to MMA-training. His coach Bob Schrijber (who runs Team Schreiber with his wife Irma Verhoeff) remembers this day well: “At our sport school, we train gladiators. To be honest, Stefan did not directly draw our attention.” Struve’s his techniques and fighting methods were apparently not outstanding. But throughout the last couple of years Stefan has developed himself well. Schrijber explains, “He is capable of combining the standing fights and ground fights; therefore he is almost unbeatable. I am convinced that he will become the heavyweight champion of the UFC!”
Struve’s interest in the sport was awoken when he was 11 years old. “I used to watch K1-tournaments on DVD with my brother. When I went to my first training, it was in the middle of my test paper week. I had to do some pretty heave fitness training for my back. The next day, my hands were shaking in such a way, that I could almost not write my test. But I did pass my HAVO-exams ultimately.” Throughout his training years, Struve mastered all different aspects of the MMA. “I am all-round very capable; both with my hands as well as on the ground.” This is no understatement, because Struve’s arm clamps and strangulations are notorious.
Does Struve have pity for his opponent after a victory? “No, but I always do check how he is doing,” he admits, “There is no need for pity, because we are all well trained athletes. The emotion that I do have after a victory is euphoria. When you win an important fight, in front of the eyes of the media, it gives me a huge rush.” MMA is not a big sport in the Netherlands, but abroad Struve and his fellow athletes are heroes. How is that possible? “That is due to the way politicians and city council members view the sport,” the athlete explains, “Many of them think that we want to beat the opponent to death, which is of course nonsense. But in the United States, the MMA is the fourth biggest sport after baseball, basketball and American Football.”
What was Struve’s best victory? “Every new victory brings me one step closer to the title and therefore every victory is getting more and more beautiful. Last month I managed to make it all the way to the main match and then all thousands of eyes are focussed on you.” Struve is performing ever better; does this put a lot of pressure on him? “Pressure to perform is part of the sport. I don’t want to train without a goal.” Since 2006 Struves brother has not beaten him anymore and (knock wood) Struve has not suffered any major injury yet. He laughs: “Football players are lying on the ground every other minute. I have only had a black eye or bruised ribs, but that’s part of the sport. The impact with boxing is far greater than the sport that we practice. With boxing, the opponents smash on each others brains for twelve rounds of three minutes.”
Struve wants to go all the way to become the best MMA fighter in the world, but he stays far away from doping. “I don’t want to deal with that kind of stuff. The moment I would think that I need that, it’s time to quit. Doping is not good for your body.” He shares his view of the best way to become the world number one: “When you win the matches with as little injuries as possible, you can come a long way. Your own attitude is also extremely important. Knowing that you have done everything in the training to win the next match. If you have the feeling that you will get whipped, then you will get whipped. You have to believe in yourself, otherwise: forget about it.”
(Verschenen in The Holland Times, November edition).
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