Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve Fight Prediction – UFC 107

PAUL BUENTELLO vs. STEFAN STRUVE

 

Fight Overview:  A deadly knockout artist versus a deadly submission artist in a throwback to the old style vs. style paradigm.  Buentello has won an overwhelming number of fights by knockout, and Struve has done the same with submissions, so it all comes down to who can impose their gameplan.

 

Buentello’s Strengths:  Buentello’s two best strengths are his right hand and his left hand.  An extremely powerful puncher with fast, heavy hands and good technique, Buentello is a threat to knock out any fighter on Earth, period.

 

Buentello’s Weakness:  Unfortunately, Buentello has absolutely no ground game to support his standup.  He has poor takedown defense and very poor submission defense, which could be extremely bad for him since Struve is far and away the most efficient submission fighter he has ever faced.

 

Struve’s Strengths:  Obviously, Struve’s best attribute is his top-level jiu-jitsu game, and more specifically his inordinate ability to finish fights with submissions.  He also has an extremely long frame, which helps him keep opponents at a distance and allows him to pull of submissions, such as triangle chokes, that a lot of Heavyweights don’t have in their repertoire.

 

Struve’s Weaknesses:  Struve’s entire standup game is lacking.  While he does have a long frame and extreme reach, he is not very good technically and does not have a lot of power.  In addition, his chin is a question mark after he was walloped by Junior dos Santos in his UFC debut.

 

Prediction:  As powerful as Buentello’s striking is, Struve is a nightmare opponent for him.  His long limbs make him adept at tying up opponents, and Buentello’s submission defense is very poor, which makes him ripe for the picking for a grappler of Struve’s caliber.  Struve will get this fight to the ground and submit Buentello easily.