S. Struve (photo) had his fight canceled at UFC 175. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
On July 5th, at UFC 175, Stefan struve It gave the MMA community a huge scare. About to return to the octagon after a long time away due to heart problems, the Dutch giant suffered a fainting spell in the locker room and had his fight against Matt Mitrione canceled at the last minute. The episode provoked several questions about Struve's health, with no prediction yet on when he will be able to fight again.
However, the fighter's manager, Lex McMahon, doesn't feel pessimistic about Struve's future in the UFC. In an interview with the podcast “The MMA Hour”, McMahon assured that the problem faced by the Dutchman has nothing to do with his heart condition, and that the episode was caused by psychological problems.
“What he had boiled down to a panic attack. This manifested itself in a physical way, with him collapsing shortly before his fight. I think he couldn't handle the emotion of getting into the Octagon. He had some questions regarding his health, even though he had been cleared by a specialist. All of this came back like a storm and unfortunately created a tremendous amount of anxiety, and it caused him to pass out,” said McMahon, who insists Struve is healthy to fight.
“Stefan has seen several doctors, and they have reiterated that there is nothing physically wrong with him. It was more of a psychological response that created a physical manifestation with his fainting”, explained the businessman.
Thus, McMahon says he has already started talks with the UFC to schedule a new commitment for Struve – this time, on a card that doesn't put too much pressure on the fighter. “I spoke to Dana [White, UFC president] several times and he asked me if Stefan wants to fight. I've been spending a lot of time with Stefan since the fight was cancelled, and the answer to the question is yes 100% of the time. He definitely wants to fight. My guess is we'll see him back soon. Dana has shown support and it's up to us to determine when that will happen. We will have something for Stefan soon”, said the businessman.
McMahon continues: “We will work with the UFC to come up with an approach that doesn't put too much pressure on him, as he was in one of the big events of the year and on the main card. I think people don't realize how much pressure is associated with that, from press responsibilities to the idea that there are millions of people watching you. That’s a lot for a young man,” he concluded.
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