Stefan Struve Battled in the Octagon, While His Father Battles Cancer

“I think I showed that I am still getting better, stronger in every fight,” said UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve on Saturday night following his second-round TKO stoppage of Stipe Miocic.

That’s true, and it showed in the Octagon at UFC on Fuel TV 5 in Nottingham, England. Struve, however, has grown a lot stronger, and in a much deeper way, than most of us watching the fight knew at the time.

In his post-fight interview on Fuel TV, Struve talked about his father, who has been stricken by cancer and is fighting a whole different type of fight.

Fighters often talk about fighting for their lives in the Octagon, but Struve’s father truly is in a fight for his life. At seven feet tall, Struve is a big man, but at 24 years of age, he’s facing something that will age him well beyond any adversity he faces in the Octagon.

“My dad has been dying of cancer for about two months, so this was for him tonight,” Struve said on Fuel TV. “He is in his therapy for four weeks now and I heard he is doing well, but still.”

Anyone that has faced the harsh reality of cancer or other life-threatening illnesses is keenly aware of just how difficult being a close family member or friend can be, but now imagine sequestering yourself in a fight camp, preparing for the biggest opportunity of your life while doing so.

“Yeah it was really tough man,” he said, before adding, “It was great to get the win, (but) it is good to go home and focus on that now.”

(MMAWeekly.com would like to wish all the best to Stefan Struve and his family as his father fights one of the toughest battles of all.)