Popular UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve has been cleared to return to competition by one of his doctors.
Struve (25-6) was diagnosed with a rare heart condition last August and hasn’t fought since a knockout loss to Mark Hunt last March in Japan.
The 26-year-old native of Netherlands, who is the tallest fighter in UFC history, suffered from a leaking aortic valve and enlarged heart and has undergone treatment to fix the problem.
“My body was only functioning at 60 or 70 percent. Because of that, my body was way more prone to viruses and all that, so I got sick a lot. It was horrible. But I’m back,” Struve told USA Today. “I left a year behind me that was the most difficult year of my life, but now I’m here. I’m back, and I want to fight. I want to show that I’m one of the best heavyweights in the world. I really feel like I’ve got another shot at all of this and I’m better than I’ve ever been.”
There’s no set return date for Struve and there are several hurdles to clear before he can step into the UFC’s Octagon again, but the seven-footer is hopeful.
“I’m just working on the last details with the UFC right now for my clearance,” explained Struve, who is currently in Abu Dhabi helping promote Friday’s UFC Fight Night event. “They’ve got everything — my doctor’s letter, medical files and everything. Everything is there, and we’re just waiting on the UFC to do their thing.”
Struve anticipates he’ll undergo surgery later to fix the issue permanently.
In 13 career UFC bouts, the Dutchman is 9-4 with one Fight of the Night bonus, one Knockout of the Night and three Submission of the Night awards. He holds notable wins over Pat Barry, Dave Herman and current top contender Stipe Miocic.
