UFC 254 Stefan Struve exclusive: Ben Rothwell didn't land a single strike before low blows

Stefan Struve is set to make his first UFC appearance of 2020 when he takes on Tai Tuivasa at UFC 254.

Speaking to Sportskeeda during the UFC 254 virtual media day interaction, Struve discussed everything from his heart condition to the low blows landed by Ben Rothwell in his last fight. The following are some key takeaways from our interaction with Stefan Struve.

Stefan Struve was asked if the commissions can do more to avoid illegal strikes that may lead to stoppages.

He replied, “Well, you know you go in the cage and fight each other and it’s very unfortunate what happened, I don’t blame Rothwell for anything. His aim with his kicks is just not as good...It is just very unfortunate, I feel like I was fighting a very good fight. He didn't land a single strike before those low blows and after that things changed. So it is what it is….that's it.”.

On the possibility of a rematch with Rothwell, Stefan Struve commented, “No. It doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t want to be stuck in the negativity surrounding the low blows. I just want to continue to win fights and fight well. I don’t really care about that anymore, it is what it is.”.

Ben Rothwell stops Stefan Struve in the second. Odd fight considering the two groin shots from Rothwell. Don’t think Struve should’ve continued, he looked impaired resuming the fight. #UFCDC

— Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) December 8, 2019

Stefan Struve offers an update on his heart condition

The lanky heavyweight also gave a detailed account of his heart ailment. He stated that he had leakage back to his aortic valve and that it is a condition that is normally diagnosed at a young age.

However, in his case, it was detected only at the age of 25. He mentioned that he monitors his condition regularly by getting his heart checked every 6 months and ensuring that he does not exert himself too much by over-training during his fight camps.

Addressing his brief retirement after the bout against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, Stefan Struve stated that at the time, he had felt overworked and lacked the necessary motivation to continue.

He also stated that he moved back to his home country of the Netherlands after the fight and felt “happy” there while resuming his training.

Therefore he decided to come back and take the fateful bout against Ben Rothwell.

Stefan Struve also stated that fighting in an empty arena will not be a problem for him as he often trains at empty gyms with no audience.