UFC Quick Quote: 'Stefan Struve really needs to think about retiring'

"Many people think, and Stefan will probably think, 'The doctor said I'm good to go, so I'll get right back in the gym and go at it,' but, even though we're great at healing bones, it's not so easy to heal the brain. How many times has he been knocked out? I know he's a young man, but he's been knocked out more than a few times. At some point, someone really needs to ask the question, should he still be fighting? That many concussions, so quickly, and at this young age ... a person has two types of age, chronological and physiologic age. Stefan's license may say he's 25, but in physiologic years, he's much, much older than that, with all the concussive force that he's sustained. I'm sure nobody will like to hear this, but Stefan Struve really needs to think about retiring. If it's not him that will make that decision, then Dana White needs to start talking to him about retiring. The question out there is how many sustained concussions is too many, and according to the latest literature that's coming out, the answer is starting to look like it's somewhere between two and three. That's where you start having permanent changes. Knowing that data, Stefan is definitely beyond that number, and someone really needs to initiate serious discussion with either him or his promoter that he probably needs to do something else for a living."

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight Stefan Struve has 13 fights inside the Octagon and 31 professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts overall. Five of his six losses have come by way of knockout or technical knockout, including this devastating finish by Mark Hunt at UFC on FUEL TV 8 that left him with a dislodged tooth and a broken jaw. That's a career's worth of accomplishment and punishment, which is why Dr. Johnny Benjamin (via Bloody Elbow) is calling for the "Skyscraper" to retire. Doesn't sound like such an outrageous request -- as long as you don't take into consideration the fact that Struve is just 25 years old and still evolving as a fighter. How about it Maniacs, safety first? Or enter (the Octagon) at your own risk?