UFC 124 Preview: Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle

Stefan Struve (20-4) vs. Sean McCorkle (10-0)
The lone heavyweight bout on the UFC 124: St-Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 card features Internet personality and fighter Sean McCorkle against Stefan Struve.

McCorkle is listed as six-foot-seven and “Skyscraper” Struve measures six-foot-11. There hasn’t been a combined height like this facing off in the Octagon since Tim Sylvia and Gan McGee at UFC 44 back in 2003.

Stefan Struve UFC 107

McCorkle will have the bigger body and strength advantage at the Bell Centre on Saturday, but that’s all we can really say about him other than his submission skills are good enough to tap Mark Hunt.

Struve has displayed the ability to finish fights standing or on the ground. While younger, Struve is more experienced. This will be the first fight McCorkle has competed in outside of Indianapolis.

McCorkle is the bigger (aside from height) and stronger fighter, but there are simply too many unknowns for me to pick him in this fight. He hasn’t gone to a decision in four years. Will he run out of steam? Can he deal with someone possessing equal or longer reach?

Struve’s only two UFC loses are to top contender Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson. He’s defeated strikers like Paul Buentello. Struve’s been tested. I can’t say McCorkle has.

Expect some stand-up exchanges early with Struve winning a war of attrition and finishing with a submission.

Struve comes in as the slight betting lines favorite at -160, while McCorkle is listed at +130. I think those odds are accurate.

MMAWeekly.com’s UFC 124 main card breakdown:
-Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck Preview
-Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle Preview
-Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira Preview
-Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig Preview
-Thiago Alves vs. John Howard Preview