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Stefan (Skyscraper) Struve showed early on in his UFC career that he should never be counted out. At UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany, in June 2009, the six-foot-11 Dutch heavyweight was gushing blood out of his forehead after taking a string of hammer blows from Denis Stojnic while on his back in the first round. Stojnics forearm looked as if it had been dipped in blood. But a bloody Struve rallied in the second round to take Stojnics back and choke him out. The German crowd roared as Struve, his face a crimson mask and long torso tinged red from blood, rose in victory. "Thats one hell of a Band-Aid," UFC president Dana White said dryly, referring to a plaster the size of a cigarette package on Struves forehead at the post-fight news conference. Struves size -- he is the tallest fighter in UFC history and is tied for longest reach with light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones -- combined with slick kickboxing and submission skills have helped him rise up the heavyweight ranks while compiling a 9-4 record in the UFC. But his career appeared over last year when he was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Given the OK to resume fighting by his doctors in the Netherlands and the UFCs cardiologist, Struve (29-6) returns to the cage Saturday when he takes on Matt Mitrione at UFC 175 in Las Vegas. "It looks good," Struve, who divides his training between the Netherlands and Los Angeles. "I just need to do checkups two times a year with my doctors in Holland and two times a year with my doctors in LA. "Thats no problem for me. I actually like that I know for sure that my heart is healthy." Mitrione (7-3) is a former NFL defensive lineman who switched to MMA via Season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality TV show in 2009. Struve, ranked 12th among heavyweight contenders, last fought in March 2013 when he suffered a broken jaw in a knockout loss to hard-hitting Mark Hunt in Japan. Struve says he had been sick for six weeks before the bout and was still under the weather during the fight. "I felt horrible." And he just couldnt recover after. "I just couldnt get over the jet lag. I couldnt sleep at night," he said. "I just didnt feel good and I didnt have any energy." He returned to full training some three months after the loss. Then one day at his parents house, he got dizzy standing up after working at the computer. He sat down and blacked out briefly, "which scared me because I had never had that." He went to the hospital, which couldnt find anything but asked him to come back for a stress ultrasound test which uses high frequency sound waves to examine the hearts anatomy and function. "Thats where they found it," he said. Struve was diagnosed with a leaking aortic valve, as well an enlarged heart. It meant that his heart was only pumping 60 per cent of his blood into the aorta and then the rest of his body. The remaining 40 per cent was ending up back in the heart chamber. Doctors used medication to control his blood pressure and the demands on his heart. Struve says he will probably have to undergo surgery at some point but hopes to do it after his fighting career. "As it is right now, its getting better every day," he said. He kept training throughout, raising his regimen as his health improved. He also taught MMA, which he said he enjoyed immensely. "I just enjoy being healthy and living a good life," he said. "I love this sport." MMA takes a toll, however. While Struve puts on exciting fights, he has endured punishing knockouts losses at the hands of Junior Dos Santos, Roy (Big Country) Nelson, Travis Browne and Hunt. The big Dutchman says he feels a lot more energy these days. "And a lot more joy in life, if you want to say so, because if you feel tied all day long, youre just miserable." But Struve says he may have taken time off from fighting even if it hadnt had the heart scare. He had plenty on his mind. "This was by far the hardest year of my life," he added. "Not only because of this but my father passed away in October after being sick for a year and a half. And then there were some other things that happened close to me that really impacted me." Back training, his performance in the gym gives him confidence that ring rust wont be an issue Saturday night. While Struve says he has got on well with Mitrione in the past, he says its a "little strange" the American asked for the fight before he was cleared to compete again. Middleweight champion Chris Weidman defends his title against former light-heavyweight champion Lyoto (The Dragon) Machida -- ranked No. 3 among 185-pound contenders -- in the main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Womens bantamweight title-holder (Rowdy) Ronda Rousey takes on No. 2 Alexis Davis, a native of Port Colborne, Ont., who fights out of San Jose, in the co-main event. Jaromir Jagr Jersey . Minutes before the final whistle of Sporting Kansas Citys 3-0 victory over a shorthanded Montreal Impact squad on Saturday afternoon, Saputo tweeted: "Our fans deserve better. Terry OReilly Jersey . 1 goaltender tonight when they conclude a four-game road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/phi...-hockey-jersey/. However, the 38-year-old is in no hurry to sign with another team. "Im not in a rush. This will be my last contract, so I want to do it right," said Burris on Thursday. Boston Bruins Jerseys . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Bobby Orr Jersey . -- Jesse Lussier scored 8:24 into overtime as the Halifax Mooseheads erased a four-goal deficit to beat the host Val-dOr Foreurs 6-5 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action.7) How frustrating is it to be a Buffalo Bills fan? Well, consider that the Bills went to Denver and Kyle Orton passed for 355 yards, the Buffalo defence held Peyton Manning without a touchdown pass for the first time in 52 games, and the Bills lost 24-17 to see their playoff hopes dwindle further.8) Some of these questions are easier to answer than others. Heres the toughest - why are NHL players getting mumps? (Obviously, its a troubling matter, for which there has been no answer, that I know of, but consider this: the Anaheim Ducks are one of the teams hardest hit by the disease, and theyre in first place. Thus, we have a new example of "overcoming adversity". Mumps.)9) Who should win the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canadas top athlete of 2014? I believe Im running into the wind on this one, for her year did not end well, but my vote will go to Genie Bouchard. The year is best remembered for her ascent to the Wimbledon final. I find it difficult to select any of the other worthy candidates when none of them made or deserved bigger headlines than Bouchard.10) How do you feel about Madison Bumgarner as Sports Illustrateds Sportsman of the Year? Again, I want the winner to be the most memorable contributor to the 2014 sports scene, and if Bumgarners post-season performance in leading the San Francisco Giants to their third World Series win in five years was the best in baseball history, I cant think of anything that stood out more in the past 12 months.11) I find myself asking this question: "Is it okay for an athlete to be an idol"? I ask so I can answer: "Yes, if the athlete can be like Jean Beliveau".12) You can find hockey experts who profess to like Jack Eichel as much as Connor McDavid, but have you heard anyone recommend neither of them as 2015s number-one NHL draft pick? (No.)13) Will you be more interested than usual in the World Junior Hockey Championship because of McDavid and Eichel? They were there last year, but the logical answer is "yes", because its their draft year and because they should be much more prominent this time.14) If ever there was a headline that could go on a timer and be repeated regularly, with details to follow, wouldnt it be "Coyotes ownership in trouble"?15) When the Raptors play against Cleveland and you try to imagine any other team or teams being in the NBA Eastern Conference final, do you come up empty? I guess you should consider Atlanta, Washington and Chicago, but I believe Im empty.dddddddddddd16) Suggested by Mondays first day of ticket sales for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto: who won the gold medal in baseball at the 2011 Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico? Perhaps youll be reminded if I tell you that USA won silver and Cuba won bronze. Who else for gold but Canada, right? Yup, score was 2-1 and Jimmy Van Ostrand drove in both runs for Canada with a two-run double in the sixth inning. Last word on Jimmy Van Ostrand? His name appears as a volunteer coach at Boston College.17) Is it really Billy Beane making the baseball moves in Oakland, or Brad Pitt, maybe? After dealing Yoenis Cespedes for Jon Lester in a futile attempt at success in last seasons American League playoffs, Beane has now traded the other two Oakland sluggers, Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss; Lester and Jason Hammel have left the pitching staff as free agents and Beane has dealt Jeff Samardzija. Funnyball, not Moneyball.18) Jaromir Jagr is the 15th player in NHL history, and the only active player, who has appeared in 1,500 games. See him while you can. Is there any other reason to watch the New Jersey Devils? Perhaps not.19) So you think you know goalies? Last seasons top two vote-getters for the Vezina Trophy were Tuukka Rask and Semyon Varlamov. Make a list of the top goaltending performers so far this season and youll be a long time getting to either Rask or Varlamov. The number-one spot almost certainly goes to Nashvilles Pekka Rinne, who, in part because of injuries, wasnt even close to the Vezina radar last season.20) Shall we close with music? To herald the release of my annual "best of" music list at years end, coming soon via Twitter @TSNDaveHodge, heres the number-one song from 2014s number-one record. ' ' '