STOCKHOLM – Stefan Struve does not hold a top-15 spot in the current USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings. One thing he does own, however, is a win over UFC champion Stipe Miocic.

It was a long time ago – Sept. 29, 2012 to be exact. Miocic, in just his fourth UFC appearance, was handed his first-career defeat by Struve via second-round TKO in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 5.

Plenty has changed in the nearly five years since. Struve (28-8 MMA, 12-6 UFC) has gone 3-3, though back-to-back wins give him momentum heading into a Sept. 2 UFC Fight Night main-event bout with Alexander Volkov. Miocic (17-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC), on the other hand, ascended up the rankings to become champion.

“I think he’s improved a lot,” Struve said today during a Q&A session with fans ahead of UFC Fight Night 109. “I think he realizes now what he can do in there.”

Struve has plenty of work to do before dreaming of a rematch with Miocic, who avenged his only other loss this month when he TKO’d Junior Dos Santos in the first round at UFC 211. Asked about facing Miocic again, Struve acknowledged the champ’s current streak of four first-round stoppages before expressing confidence he could get the job done.

“I think you’ve got to weather the storm (with Miocic),” Struve said. “When I really get comfortable and find my range, then I feel like I’ll get the upper hand if we fight again. … I feel that if I keep him on the outside and just do my thing, then I think I’m his kryptonite.”

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