Stefan Struve goes up against Tai Tuivasa at UFC 254 on Saturday, October 24. This event in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates is one of seven fights on the preliminary card on ESPN2/ESPN+. Struve is 29-12 in his career, while Tuivasa is 9-3 in his career. There are a total of six fights on the main pay-per-view card on UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje, with the headliner a bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. There are also a total of seven fights on the preliminary card on ESPN 2/ESPN+. Let’s look at the bout between Struve and Tuivasa and UFC predictions.
Bet on UFC at BookMaker.eu
Stefan Struve (29-12, 13-10 UFC)
Struve came into the UFC with a record of 16-2 and he has 13 wins and 10 losses in the UFC. In his last six fights, he has two wins and four losses. He defeated Daniel Omielanczuk by D’Arce choke submission and Marcos Rogério de Lima by arm-triangle choke submission; while losing to Alexander Volkov by TKO, Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision, Marcin Tybura by unanimous decision, and Ben Rothwell by TKO. Struve has been a pro since 2005 and he has eight wins by TKO/KO and 18 by submission. He has 16 first round finishes.
Tai Tuivasa (9-3, 3-3 UFC)
Tuivasa came into the UFC with a record of 6-0 and he has three wins and three losses in the UFC. He defeated Rashad Coulter by KO, Cyril Asker by TKO, and Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision; while losing to Junior dos Santos by TKO, Blagoy Ivanov by unanimous decision, and Sergey Spivak by technical submission. Tuivasa has been a pro since 2012 and he has eight wins by TKO/KO. He has eight first round finishes.
Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Struve 3.13/ Tuivasa 4.09
Striking Accuracy: Struve 47% / Tuivasa 48%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Struve 4.00/ Tuivasa 3.54
Defense: Struve 46% / Tuivasa 51%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Struve 0.58/ Tuivasa 0.00
Takedown Accuracy: Struve 50% / Tuivasa 0%
Takedowns defended: Struve 55% / Tuivasa 42%
Submission average: Struve 1.7/ Tuivasa 0.0
UFC Picks
If you want to watch a fight where both fighters are highly motivated then this is the one to watch. Struve and Tuivasa badly need a win and there is a chance that Tuivasa could get cut if he loses his fourth straight bout. We know how this fight is going to go, as Struve is going to hang back, throw kicks and try to catch Tuivasa when he goes for the knockout. If Struve gets the takedown then this fight is probably over. If not, Tuivasa is going to keep throwing big shots and hoping to get the one that finishes Struve. The odds on this fight are basically a pick and this fight could go either way. I do expect a finish one way or the other, so I will take the rounds to go under the total.
UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje Card & Odds
Lightweight Championship - Justin Gaethje +273 vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov -347
Middleweight - Jared Cannonier -117 vs. Robert Whittaker -107
Heavyweight - Walt Harris +147 vs. Alexander Volkov -176
Light Heavyweight - Ion Cutelaba +243 vs. Magomed Ankalaev -303
Middleweight - Jacob Malkoun +207 vs. Phil Hawes -255
Heavyweight - Tai Tuivasa -102 vs. Stefan Struve -122
Light Heavyweight - Sam Alvey +273 vs. Da Un Jung -347
Women’s Flyweight - Liana Jojua +338 vs. Miranda Maverick -444
Welterweight - Shavkat Rakhmonov -107 vs. Alex Oliveira -117
Catchweight - Casey Kenney -186 vs. Nathaniel Wood +154
Lightweight - Joel Alvarez -162 vs. Alexander Yakovlev +134
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props, and money lines are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.
