Alexander Volkov got the better of Stefan Struve in the main event of UFC Fight Night 115 in Rotterdam this evening by way of a third round TKO victory.
Round One:
The main event of the evening is underway in Rotterdam.
Both giants exchanging kicks in the early moments of the round. Volkov with a two-piece combo. Struve lands the jab. Jumping knee to the body from Struve now.
Low leg kick for Struve. Volkov marches forward and lands an uppercut. He remains in teh clinch afterwards, but they soon seperate.
Struve thinking about an uppercut, but Volkov lands the jab instead. Nice head kick attempt from Struve and Volkov uses that to push him to the mat.
Back up and soon after Struve lands a big right hand and then another behind it. Good chin from Volkov to take those. Struve working better from range than we’ve seen in the past so far.
Body kick for Struve, body punch for Volkov and then more strikes behind it. Knee to the midsection from the ‘Skyscraper’. Solid uppercut for Struve now.
Volkov in the clinch and lands a big knee to the body before moving away. Struve with a body kick. Head kick attempt misses for Struve, but then he follows up with a jumping knee to the head and that appears to open a cut.
However, Volkov is able to bundle Struve to the mat afterwards and starts hammering away with ground and pound. Volkov bleeding all over Struve which perhaps makes this seem worse than it is, but nonetheless, this is some good work from Volkov to end the round. Volkov moves to his corner with a significant cut below his left eye from that earlier knee.
Round Two:
Struve just misses with a right hook and gets caught with a counter from Volkov. Struve feeling out with the jab. He lands it again. Uppercut attempt.
Both men showing a willingness to exchange punches. Struve slips after a low kick from Volkov and he eats a punch as he stands back up.
Struve with another jumping knee upstairs. Soon after Struve lands an unintentional eye poke that forces a brief stoppage. He’s ok to continue though.
Leg kick for Volkov. Punches fly from both men. Nice uppercut from Struve. Right hand for Struve and Volkov threatens on the counter.
Solid right down the pipe from Volkov and then follows up with more strikes. Leg kicks for Volkov. Struve lands, but then Volkov connects himself and Struve staggers back a bit, more off-balance than anything else.
however, Volkov continues to come forward and lands some more big punches, but Struve takes it. Struve lands another illegal eye-poke which forces another stoppage.
Struve escapes losing a point for that, but is warned if he does it again then he will be.
Leg kick for Struve. two in return from Volkov. Struve tries for a takedown, but it’s easily stuffed. Head kick attempt from Struve doesn’t pay off.
Nice uppercut from Volkov. Struve lands a right hand as Volkov scores too. Volkov starting to put together more consistent combos here and he’s backing up the Dutchman.
Volkov continuing to plow forward with left and right hands, but while he’s landed a few nice clean strikes he’s been unable to topple the Skyscraper so far.
Round Three:
Body punch for Struve. Now a left hook that’s blocked. He goes for a left hook, but Volkov connects with a harder shot at the same time.
Bizarrely both fighters land an eyepoke at the same time accidently and the ref has to warn them both before they continue.
Straight punches for Struve. Volkov with a big uppercut. Volkov penetrates Struve’s guard again with straight punches.
Head kick for Struve, but it’s blocked. Leg kick for Volkov. He lands another punch. Leg kick for Volkov. Jab for Struve.
Overhand right connects for Volkov. Body kick for Volkov now. Struve trying to work the body too. Volkov wlands a few punches and a good uppercut finally finds the button to drop Struve to the mat. A few ground and pound strikes follow and the ref steps in to end the fight at 3.30mins of the third round.
A good scrap then, but after some early success from Struve it was Volkov who started to land more effectively at range and was ultimately rewarded with a well-earned stoppage victory.
