“Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic announced today on Croatian television his intentions to retire from mixed martial arts after his contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship expires … Cro Cop says he has four fights remaining on his contract with the Las Vegas-based promotion, beginning with his next fight he confirmed for September 8’s UFC 75 in London, England.”
– UFC heavyweight contender Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic announces on television — via FightNetwork.com — of his intentions to retire once he satisfies his current contract with the UFC.
May 25th, 2007
30 Comments »
God can you say, Party pooper? I hope something changes, especially if he becomes champ. But if this is real, for that reason I hope he does not become champ, down with CC.
He was just in it for the pay day!
I am sure Fedor is upset to hear that. I’d like to see him fight Couture though.
Random Trivia: In Fedor’s only “loss” in the tournament style format where he was TKO cut and could not continue to the next round.. who would he have fought? Randy Couture.
That fight is destiny.
[quote comment=”65171″]I am sure Fedor is upset to hear that. I’d like to see him fight Couture though.
Random Trivia: In Fedor’s only “loss” in the tournament style format where he was TKO cut and could not continue to the next round.. who would he have fought? Randy Couture.
That fight is destiny.[/quote]
Yeah dude, that TKO cut ruined my life. I wanted to see that SOOOO bad.
Cant wait to hear what that Croatian dude who argued with me has to say. Mirko just confirmed what I was telling him, he is done after the next four.
Winner MoreThanUFC via Tapout from Rear Naked Intelligence.
Listen, this guy has a ton going for him outside of MMA. Let him be. If he retired today, he is and always will be the OWGP champ. He beat Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett in the same night. Done, end of story.
If you think his next four opponent arent quaking in the shoes, your wrong….
i hope in his last four fights he:
a. fights for the ufc belt
b. gets a rematch with fedor
c. goes 4-0
Damn Mirko you hater…you gotta stay in the game till your @ least 40 maybe 100….stick it out man..theres alot in the UFC here for you if you want it…Mirko needs to embrace the UFC ans milk it for everything he can..He can be such a big player in the game if he wants it..these kinda guys weird me out…all about the payday…does he even acknowledge his die hard fans..there not just back home.there every where…towns,city’s, reserves, continents. man mirko is a bitch..
I could see him going 4-0, but I am almost hope he doesn’t become champ. He wants to retire after becoming champ. Thats bullshit! A champ is defined by his title defense not just winning the belt. Besides he’s got to get back at GG. I don’t see that happening within 4 fights. I hope they give him Vera at 75
Oh my god… I was on another MMA-related site and they linked the topic from here. You guys got it from FightNetwork and they got it from NikkanSports, who got it from croatian television.
What do you think the chances that there was something “lost in transition/translation” are? So just to make things clear I thought I post what he really said: “I’ll get the belt, that’s definitive!” He wants to retire after he has the belt, not necessarily after the 4 remaining fights on the contract. Of course Dana White won’t likely give him a title shot without trying to tie him to a couple of title defenses (vs. BigNog, AA, Sylvia or maybe the anticipated CC-Liddell fight?).
So to basically: he said he wants the belt and retire after he has the belt, nikkansports made “he’s possibly retiring” out of it, FightNetwork translated it as “he confirmed retirement” and all other sites leaned on that.
@Stafo: a insider source tells me its going to be Kongo against CroCop at UFC75, but its not yet signed. So no Vera (yet?).
“So to basically” = “So basically”.
Also: MTUFC, contact me please under info -at- danijel . de, got an invitation spare to an amazing MMA resource. Cheers.
[quote comment=”65402″]Oh my god… I was on another MMA-related site and they linked the topic from here. You guys got it from FightNetwork and they got it from NikkanSports, who got it from croatian television.
What do you think the chances that there was something “lost in transition/translation” are? So just to make things clear I thought I post what he really said: “I’ll get the belt, that’s definitive!” He wants to retire after he has the belt, not necessarily after the 4 remaining fights on the contract. Of course Dana White won’t likely give him a title shot without trying to tie him to a couple of title defenses (vs. BigNog, AA, Sylvia or maybe the anticipated CC-Liddell fight?).
So to basically: he said he wants the belt and retire after he has the belt, nikkansports made “he’s possibly retiring” out of it, FightNetwork translated it as “he confirmed retirement” and all other sites leaned on that.
@Stafo: a insider source tells me its going to be Kongo against CroCop at UFC75, but its not yet signed. So no Vera (yet?).[/quote]
Dang well im glad somebody here does there homework. Ok so all he really said is he basically isn’t gonna retire until he gets the belt. Dang if its really Congo that would pretty cool to see, I give CC desisive win though if he comes back 100%.
Oh and when you say get an invitation to an incredible source, what is this inside source, is it internet, or do you know some guy who works for sherdog and does interviews with fighters all the time?
whatever this man does. im for it. but fedor cro cop II. defiently needs to happen dammit. i still think that first round fedor took the biggest beating he ever has in the ring. but yeah idk, its crocop. i think if he gets the belt, he’ll defend it. he can tell his wife to pipe it down
[quote comment=”65412″]
Dang well im glad somebody here does there homework. Ok so all he really said is he basically isn’t gonna retire until he gets the belt. Dang if its really Congo that would pretty cool to see, I give CC desisive win though if he comes back 100%.
Oh and when you say get an invitation to an incredible source, what is this inside source, is it internet, or do you know some guy who works for sherdog and does interviews with fighters all the time?[/quote]
On Kongo: a guy who sparred with Kongo described his striking as pretty good. He has powerful punches, but they are not always as precise as Mirko’s straight left. Also: Kongo has horrible takedown defense, this is really the one big loophole in his game. The perfect gameplan for CroCop would obviously be a takedown and GnP, which is one of his strong sides in my opinion. Not alot of people can do this much damage from the guard and with Kongo he has not to worry about triangles or armbars. Standup it might be hard, because people know Cro Cops standup inside-out by now.
As for the resource: its a private mma-related torrent tracker with literally every possible snippet about mma and related sports. Unfortunately I only got one invitation right now and as MTUFC seems to be the most interested in stuff like ADCC, Shooto, KotC, and so on I thought he’d like it. It also has EVERY MMA-related DVD ever made, as soon as I get new invitations I can hook you up if you like.
[quote comment=”65420″][quote comment=”65412″]
Dang well im glad somebody here does there homework. Ok so all he really said is he basically isn’t gonna retire until he gets the belt. Dang if its really Congo that would pretty cool to see, I give CC desisive win though if he comes back 100%.
Oh and when you say get an invitation to an incredible source, what is this inside source, is it internet, or do you know some guy who works for sherdog and does interviews with fighters all the time?[/quote]
On Kongo: a guy who sparred with Kongo described his striking as pretty good. He has powerful punches, but they are not always as precise as Mirko’s straight left. Also: Kongo has horrible takedown defense, this is really the one big loophole in his game. The perfect gameplan for CroCop would obviously be a takedown and GnP, which is one of his strong sides in my opinion. Not alot of people can do this much damage from the guard and with Kongo he has not to worry about triangles or armbars. Standup it might be hard, because people know Cro Cops standup inside-out by now.
As for the resource: its a private mma-related torrent tracker with literally every possible snippet about mma and related sports. Unfortunately I only got one invitation right now and as MTUFC seems to be the most interested in stuff like ADCC, Shooto, KotC, and so on I thought he’d like it. It also has EVERY MMA-related DVD ever made, as soon as I get new invitations I can hook you up if you like.[/quote]
Yeah that would be something to see CC pull an actual GnP(You know besides just jumping on a guy he just head kicked haha). I think weather or not he knows CC’s stand-up is not so relevant as to weather or not he can do anything about it, which I don’t think many can.
The source - Yeah man I mean I wasnt trying to snoop or invite myself, I was just curious cuz you guys really do seem to be on top of the ball, before even most sites, in fact it seems a lot of these sites get the info from people like you guys. But of course if it wasnt a big problem, I would be very thankful for something like that. I hvae definently acquired a knew interest for the ADCC, I just never really knew what it was all about before really gettin into it here.
It has every MMA related DVD, you mean yuo can just peep those on the computer?
[quote post=”2220″]a private mma-related torrent tracker [/quote]
We’ll see if its the same. If your contact info doesnt work, shoot Jesse an email at fan@ufcmania.com and tell him to send your email to me.
Dam, your stealing one of my sources.
I’ve been working on something that I simply cant prove. I’ve spent $40 in cell phone charges trying to check it out, but no luck. I’ll know after tonite if I’ve heard right, or if someone in Pinochioland has fooled/wasted the time of a large part of the MMA underground world.
Looks like Gonzaga has made some emotional damage there.
As much as I’m CroCop nuthugger, I’m getting tired (and sad) to hear CroCop say over and over again that he’s going to retire. Too bad, with so much talent in him, its sad to see him not to have his heart that much dedicated to the sport (IMO). It would have been nice to hear from him like “I’m gonna be the champ and crush them all!”, “I’m going to avenge all my losses, Gonzaga and Fedor”. Its sad really.
It’s too bad cc is going to retire.I’m farely new too mma and was taken a liken too cc.
[quote comment=”65613″]It’s too bad cc is going to retire.I’m farely new too mma and was taken a liken too cc.[/quote]
Honestly Paul, you’ve gotten in at just the right time. Keep checking this site, and keep posting.
CC, Randy, Fedor, any of the guys over thirty are the third generation of MMArtists. The guys coming up now are light years ahead of where any of those guys were at age 20-25. Shogun, GSP, Diego, Fitch, Lauzon, GG, Marquardt, Aoki, etc are all young, great, and havent even piqued yet. What we’re gonna see in the next 5 years is gonna be nothing short of AMAZING.
That ankle got twisted bad. If he gets an ankle lock on that same foot, he’s going to be in trouble. Maybe the injury could have effected his discision.
CroCop is one ugly dude up close. finishing 4 more fights is still a few years away. so I’m sure Dana will offer a huge extension contract if he performs well.
[quote comment=”65718″][quote comment=”65613″]It’s too bad cc is going to retire.I’m farely new too mma and was taken a liken too cc.[/quote]
Honestly Paul, you’ve gotten in at just the right time. Keep checking this site, and keep posting.
CC, Randy, Fedor, any of the guys over thirty are the third generation of MMArtists. The guys coming up now are light years ahead of where any of those guys were at age 20-25. Shogun, GSP, Diego, Fitch, Lauzon, GG, Marquardt, Aoki, etc are all young, great, and havent even piqued yet. What we’re gonna see in the next 5 years is gonna be nothing short of AMAZING.[/quote]
thank you for pointing that ouy MTU, mma fans are in for a treat as this sport continues to grow, And i’ll be right there watching every step of the way… including tonight!
Well now that his goal is to retire, do you think we’re going to see his best fighting yet? Maybe, maybe not. If I were Dana White shelling out big bucks on him I would have to question his heart and if he is really going to retire, maybe that can happen sooner rather than later.
Give CroCop a break! So what if he wants to retire after winning the belt or when his UFC contract is up.
You can’t hold anything against a guy who has a life outside MMA competition. If he is retiring to return to work as a Police officer fighting crime and protecting the innocent than that is a better life than competition MMA!
Some of you must taking the piss by calling Mirko a “bitch” and he was only in it for the “payday”. Unless they’re independently wealthy, I’d reason that most MMA stars are in it for the money!
cro cop was never in it for the money. He has that. For him it is about winning. He stated very clearly that in Pride he was hardly getting anything to cover his expenses. You swear anyone with marketable talents outside of MMA do MMA for the money. When cro cop was not getting much he still fought (he was the leader of the counter-terrorist squad and was in the Croatian parliment– which I think he still is). Most people in MMA don’t do it for the money, but more because they love fighting.
any word yet who cc’s facing on the 75 card ….hope to jesus its AA…
its gotta be AA
When MIRKO FILIPOVIC chooses to end his career, whether it’s in 4 fights, or in 40 fights, whatever he decides, it will be a sad day for mixed martial arts. As a fan since the early days, I have seen the greats…. and without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, the Croatian Sensation has done a lot to have his name chiseled in stone right up there with the legends of the sport.
In my humble opinion, he has been the most dominating force on the MMA scene. I still get tingles down my spine when I think of the words of the announcer one fight when he exclaimed “MIRKO CROCOP IS TAKING OVER!”
One of the hands down most exciting and devastating knockout artists of our time. A master both on his feet, and on the ground. A take down defence that is as close to perfect as I’ve seen. Certainly as good as any other MMA legend. Yet the sport, which may be as close to the perfect sport as it gets,(as long as the matchups are as carefully calculated as they have been in recent years), the sport exploits human error. As humans, even these legends are subject to these mistakes. And someone else wins. On any given night, one man can beat another man, whether or not he is more skilled. Thats why I love this game, this art, this competition. I think also that Mirko’s disposition, his natural kindness, his modesty, even his sportsmanship works against his psyche in this regard. I’ve seen matches where his head just wasn’t “in it”. The second Mark Hunt fight, for example. I know he was hurt with a body blow early, but that night, we didn’t see the real Croatian Sensation. we can’t know what goes on behind the scenes of course, or what factors contribute to an athletes abscence of focus, but the only nights Mirko doesn’t appear invincible, are the nights where he clearly has some skeletons in his closet, and his focus is noticeably diminished. The suprise knockout in the first seconds by Randleman was a by product of the game. A lucky shot got thru….thats the sport, no big deal. But this last loss to a B-lister from UFC had to work on his mind. And maybe finally have him decide once and for all, thats enough, “I have nothing to prove to anyone”. The history books are already written, what more can be achieved by staying in longer, hurting myself more and more, and suffering in silent painful agony while the rest of the world goes on? You can’t throw kicks like that your whole life without causing serious damage to yourself. I guess every MMA guy has to ask himself at some point during his career, at what point do my injuries become permanent, or the pain unbearable? Do I want to end up like Joe Louis, or do I quit when it’s time to quit and have at least some kind of life quality, like Sugar Ray?
At any rate, all I have to say is this:
Mirko, whatever you decide, as a fan, you have given me some of the greatest sports thrills I have ever had. We fans live through our favorite fighters, and the fact that I was and AM a Mirko Filipovic fan, made me feel like a little bit of a champion too at times. Your greatness as an athlete and sportsmanship as a man, character as a human being has inspired me and legions of your fans. Whatever you choose to do, you owe me nothing. You have nothing to prove to me. I know I have witnessed a special greatness.
How fortunate was I to have been born when I was?
I was lucky enough to have lived in a time when I got to see Wayne Gretzky in Hockey, Michael Jordan in Basketball, Barry Bonds in Baseball, Maradona in Soccer, Both Cassius Clay and Muhammed Ali in Boxing, and The Croatian Sensation Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipovic in MME……
My hats off to all of you mega-stars of professional sport. My undying respect for what you have been able to achieve and my heartfelt admiration and thanks for every second you spent in the ring for fans like me.
I would love to see you stay. We all know the UFC title is yours if you really want it. And you know in your heart that Fedor is beatable. Thats within the realm of possibilty for you as well. If you were to walk away from the fight in England, which no CROCOP fan cares about, and instead train for a Rampage Jackson Knock OUT. then defend against Chuck and Randy, (I love them both but we all know those would be walk- over fights) Naturally a Rampage rematch would be a huge “what next” gate,
(so you’d have to beat him for the fourth time in a row then),
Your contract is complete. Then fight Emilianenko for the biggest purse in MMA history… win,make UFC and PRIDE even bigger and richer, and then hang it up.
You go out as the Zeus of the Greek gods. As the pinnacle of the sport. A legend that my great-grandchildren and yours will still be talking about. I’m not saying it would be easy, but its at least doable. And if any fighter in MMA could do it… it would be you. You just have to find it inside you. It’s in there. We both know it. You can quit now and be great. Or you can risk your health and life a few more times, and be remembered as the greatest who ever lived. A real life Gladiator. An unalterable chapter in sports history.
I wish that for you.
Either way. Thanks for the years of service, Champ.
A fan for life,
Dean Ruzic
Done.