Ben Rothwell believes he was in desperate need of a victory and he got one.
That win didn’t come without controversy, however. Rothwell landed accidental low blow kicks in the first and second round to Struve. On the second kick, Struve looked to be in agony but he pushed forward. Most agree that Struve shouldn’t have continued and he paid for it, losing to Rothwell via TKO.
Rothwell Talks TKO Victory Over Struve
Rothwell admitted to reporters backstage that he didn’t want to get carried away after the win given the circumstances (via MMAJunkie.com).
“I had a cool speech and everything ready, but not with an asterisk,” he said backstage at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. “I knew that was going to be the biggest discussion point. I just tried to handle it the best I could – give respect and just address the crowd. You can’t be too happy because the crowd will turn on you if they feel like you got one over on them or something.”
Rothwell isn’t exactly drowning in his sorrows, however. He believes that the win over Struve saved his job.
“I think I was on the chopping block – let’s be honest,” he said. “I’ve lost three decisions prior to this, which I think helps – I don’t get finished. I fight to the end. But four losses is four losses. It can’t happen. So this was crucial.”
