Stefan Struve vs. Ben Rothwell announced for UFC on ESPN 7

Stefan Struve (pictured) fights Ben Rothwell in a heavyweight bout at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 7 | Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Stefan Struve isn’t done fighting just yet.

Despite strongly suggesting that he was retiring earlier this year, Struve (29-11) has been booked to face Ben Rothwell (36-12) in a heavyweight bout on Dec. 7 at UFC on ESPN 7, which takes place at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Officials announced the matchup Tuesday.

Struve was victorious in his last outing, submitting Marcos Rogerio de Lima in the second round at UFC Prague in February. That win snapped a three-fight losing skid for “Skyscraper” and he used his post-fight interview to thank the fans for supporting his career.

“This is something I’ve thought over a whole lot,” Struve said at the time. “I think everybody’s aware my heart is not 100 percent. When I made my comeback I told myself I would have about five years and I’ve been fighting a little longer since then. My heart is good, but there’s a very good opportunity that this is my last fight, so thank you very much.”

In 22 appearances for the UFC, Struve holds a 13-9 record with notable wins over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Stipe Miocic.

Rothwell is currently in a career-worst slump having lost his last three fights, all by unanimous decision. Most recently, he fell to Andrei Arlovski at UFC on ESPN 4 in July. The 37-year-old is 6-6 in the UFC.