Stefan (Skyscraper) Struve showed early on in his UFC career that he should never be counted out. Adrian Peterson Jersey . 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. Cheap Vikings Jerseys . LOUIS -- Julius Randle had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Aaron Harrison finished with 18 points and No. Paul Krause Jersey .Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday it is inevitable that the league will one day take after European sports and have sponsor names on team jerseys. http://www.vikingsauthenticshop.com/Vikings-Kyle-Rudolph-Draft-Jersey/ . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night.WHISTLER, B.C. -- Fourth place is starting to get old for Canadas Justin Snith and Tristan Walker. The Calgary duo produced their best result of the World Cup luge season Friday, only to fall agonizingly short of the doubles podium for the fourth time in 2013. Snith and Walker were sixth after the first run before blazing to the third fastest time on their second trip down the course to finish just 0.027 seconds out of third. "We know were close. We were definitely closer than we were last year," said Snith, who along with Walker finished fourth in doubles at the 2013 world championship on the same track. "It was just the difference of our first run. We had a couple little skids on the way down and that was the difference between fourth and third." Snith and Walker, who also finished fourth in last seasons final two World Cup events, wound up with a combined two-run time of one minute 13.378 seconds. "The first run had a couple little sloppy mistakes and its been kind of the story of the season so far," said Walker. "Its been frustrating. We know we have so much more to give once you get the two runs combined, but we know were right there." Germanys Tobias Wendl and Tobias Arlt continued their doubles dominance while extending their lead in the World Cup standings with a third victory in four races this season, finishing first at the Whistler Sliding Centre with a time of 1:13.087. "Its a very good track for us," said Arlt, who paired with Wendl to win gold at last years world championship. "We like it a lot. Its awesome to be here." German teammates Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken, the only men to beat Wendl and Arlt this season, were second with a time of 1:13.171 at the venue that hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. Austrias Penter Penz and Georg Fischler were third in 1:13.351. Germanys Felix Loch then continued his reign in mens singles at Whistler, winning his third straight race here after finishing his two runs in 1:36.686. Loch, who took the overall lead in the World Cup standings with his second victory of the season, won gold at the 2010 Olympics and again last year at the world championship. "The two runs today were really good," said Loch. "In the first run, a little mistake out of (Turn) 12 but it was not a problem. The second one was really good. "Im happy about the two times." Chris Mazdzer of the United States surprised the field with his first-ever podium, finishing in second at 1:36.978. "I love this track," said a jubilant Mazdzer. "Last year I had my best result of my entire career and this year I upped it." German teammates Andi Langenhan and David Moller were second and third after the first run behind Loch, but a couple of mistakes opened the door for Maazdzer in the frigid conditions on the track perched above this picturesque resort town. Daniel Carlson Jersey. "I made myself a little more out of control to go faster and it paid off," he said. "Those were two very sketchy runs, Ill call it. Just kind of out of control, on the verge. Luckily I kept the sled going straight and made it down both times. "There were some times I didnt really know where I was going." Italys Dominik Fischnaller finished third with a time of 1:36.981, while Calgarys Sam Edney wound up sixth for the third straight time this season, 0.420 back of Loch. "Sixth place is a great result again. I know that its that close to the podium," said Edney, whose two runs clocked in at 1:37.106. "Its a matter tenths of a second, which is inspiring and motivating." Snith and Walker started the World Cup season with a disappointing 19th-place finish in Norway before following that up with a 12th-place showing in Austria the following week. The pair got things going last week with a fifth-place finish in Winterberg, Germany, and went one better on Friday. "The second run, right from the start, nailed the start cut," said Snith. "On the way down, no problems, no skids anywhere. I knew it was a good one." Canada has never won an Olympic medal in luge, but is hoping to change that in Sochi in February. Germany is the dominant power in the sport, but Canada is in the mix in all four events -- doubles, mens and womens singles, as well as the team relay, which will be making its debut at the Games. "(The Germans) are just humans, theyre not robots," said Snith. "They will make mistakes and we just have to be ready and capitalize on those opportunities. "Theyre a little bit further away than Id like them to be right now, but if we keep working like the way we have been going and working on the start, Im sure that time difference will come down." Arlt agreed that the Canadians are close to cracking a top-three finish in doubles. "Its getting closer," he said. "Theyre very concentrated and work very hard. Its not (far) to the podium." The womens singles and team relay events go Saturday. Notes: Mitchel Malyk and John Fennell, both of Calgary, finished the mens singles race in 19th and 24th, respectively. ... Snith and Walker cost Canada a chance at a second-straight World Cup medal in the team relay last weekend when they left the gate early in their leg of the race and were disqualified. ... The World Cup luge schedule continues next week in Park City, Utah. ... The Whistler Sliding Centre is the same venue where 21-year-old Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died just hours before the start of the 2010 Olympics, prompting criticism that the course was too fast. Cheap Hockey Blackhawks Jerseys Cheap Hockey Avalanche Jerseys Cheap Hockey Stars Jerseys Cheap Hockey Wild Jerseys Cheap Hockey Predators Jerseys Cheap Hockey Blues Jerseys Cheap Hockey Jets Jerseys Cheap Hockey Ducks Jerseys Cheap Hockey Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Hockey Flames Jerseys Cheap Hockey Oilers Jerseys Cheap Hockey Kings Jerseys Cheap Hockey Sharks Jerseys Cheap Hockey Canucks Jerseys Cheap Hockey Golden Knights Jerseys Hockey Team Canada Jerseys ' ' '