On this day in 2014, a huge UFC PPV suffered a shocking change to the main card.
On July 5, UFC 175 took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas with two title fights topping the bill.
In the main event, Chris Weidman defeated Lyoto Machida in a great five-round clash as ‘The All-American’ kept hold of the middleweight belt.
The final fight of the night may have gone the 25-minute distance but the same couldn’t be said for the co-main event where Ronda Rousey needed just 16 seconds to beat Alexis Davis in a bantamweight title bout.
Several big matchups that were planned for the event, including Chael Sonnen vs Wanderlei Silva, fell apart but that wasn’t where the fight cancellations ended.
Stefan Struve was pulled from his UFC 175 fight on the main card shortly before walking out
Stefan Struve was set to face Matt Mitrione in a heavyweight contest on the main card of UFC 175 before the PPV ended up taking place with just four fights.
Struve hadn’t fought since March of 2013 due to him suffering from a leaking aortic valve and an enlarged heart though his condition did improve throughout the remainder of the year.
‘Skyscraper’ was cleared to compete in 2014 but his previous health concerns eventually led to some difficulties while he was backstage at UFC 175.
Dana White announced via SportsCenter during the event that Struve was out of the fight due to an elevated heart rate that led to the promotion cancelling the matchup with Matt Mitrione.
Fight fans found out the news once the PPV main card had already kicked off, with White later telling MMA Fighting that the towering heavyweight had blacked out and that the UFC weren’t going to take any chances.
Dr. Jeffery Davidson provided an update on Struve’s status during the broadcast, confirming that it didn’t look like it was going to be anything too serious, but he still needed to be pulled from the fight.
“Stefan had a near-fainting spell. He’s doing great right now, that’s the most important thing. He’s safe and he’s healthy right now. We are monitoring him for precaution. But on the consult of the group and the medical doctors on staff, I think we’re going to tell him, obviously, no fighting today.
“Stefan’s condition is very stable. We’ll have to look at him in the future. He can fight another day if he’d like to. Medically he’s going to do well. We’re going to take precaution tonight.”
Stefan Struve put his medical issues behind him by fighting 11 more times in the UFC
Following his attempted return at UFC 175, Stefan Struve would step back inside the Octagon later that year when he faced Alistair Overeem in December.
‘Skyscraper’ would continue being a prominent figure in the UFC’s heavyweight division and even got the opportunity to headline a Fight Night event in his home country of the Netherlands in 2017.
In February of 2021, Struve announced his retirement from MMA though he has continued to be around the sport as a commentator and presenter who is regularly in attendance for the biggest UFC events.
He ended his pro career with a record of 29-13 and is tied with Derrick Lewis for the second-most post-fight bonuses in UFC heavyweight history.