It appears Mirko Filipovic may not be done with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) after all … just when it seemed that he would never step foot inside the Octagon ever again.
Despite company president Dana White going bananas after hearing that the Croatian allegedly signed a three-fight with DREAM immediately after his win over Mustafa Al-Turk, Index.hr is reporting that UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta flew out to Zagreb to personally talk to Filipovic about a possible UFC return.
The pair reportedly sat down and talked for two hours at Cro Cop’s house. And when it was all over, Fertitta apparently boarded his plane with a huge grin plastered on his face, saying that he made the Pride FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix winner “an offer he can’t refuse.”
This is certainly quite a turn of events, considering Cro Cop had not only ditched the UFC in favor of Japan’s Fighting & Entertainment Group (FEG), but he also apparently agreed to battle K-1 star Siala-Mou Siligia in a mixed martial arts showdown at DREAM 10 from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on July 20.
However, it was recently revealed that the famed Croatian striker was hospitalized after reportedly suffering from high temperature, diarrhea and stomach pain — the textbook symptoms of Salmonella — putting the bout in jeopardy.
Now it may be off entirely if the latest news is indeed accurate.
“Cro Cop” most recently competed at UFC 99: “The Comeback,” making a brief return to the Octagon to defeat British heavyweight Mostapha Al-turk in controversial fashion — an inadvertent eye poke that was missed by the referee that led to the victory.
In the wake of UFC 99, White gave “Cro Cop” a verbal lashing for welshing on a supposed verbal deal for more fights under the UFC banner. Filipovic refuted the claim, saying the deal was for only one fight and that he would renegotiate after the event.
Then he appeared to be returning to the Land of the Rising Sun — the country that made him a star — because he wanted to fight multiple times this year and claimed the UFC expected him to wait six months for another fight.
Nothing about this whole situation seems to be crystal clear. Did he officially sign with DREAM? Will his next fight be in the UFC? And what repercussions if any will come from this soap opera?
For now, it looks like we will have to wait a little longer to know for certain the conclusion of Cro Cop‘s fate, but it appears he could be headed back to the Octagon … maybe.
Stay tuned.
52 Comments »
the timing is right for him to rematch GG. Though CC V Dos would be sweet!
actually i heard yesterday[from a VERY reliable person] that mirko WILL be fighting gonzaga in a rematch as early as ufc 102..
it all depends on if gonzaga signs the bout!!
and remember where u heard this… stink~man signing off~
Bring him back and match him up against Dos Santos, Hardonk, or Berry immediately!
those would be some interesting matchups. somebody would def get ktfo.
Lets face it. Mirko is a very small heavyweight in a division now filled with GIANT AMERICAN WRESTLERS. With that said, Mirko has ZERO SHOT of ever winning a UFC title, but there are still a few reason’s why the UFC should sign Cro Cop:
1) He is a HUGE star internationally with LEGIONS of fans that FOLLOW Mirko around the world to see him fight. Outside of North America, Cro Cop would be one of the UFC’s biggest assets.
2) If the UFC is SMART, and matches Mirko up with other strikers, and avoids matching him up with Big Wrestlers, then we can expect to see some thrilling stand up wars involving Mirko. Mirko will never be UFC champion because there are just too many big strong wrestlers in the UFC Heavyweight division, that it would be unrealistic to expect Mirko to be able to keep the fight standing. NO matter how good his Takedown defense was in Japan, he gives up too much size and strength to American wrestlers for his sprawl to be effective in the uFC. Consequently, he will never be UFC Champion, so they might as well just match him up with strikers like: Dos Santos, Hardonk or Berry, so we at least get to see Mirko involved in exciting fights that he can be competitive in.
3) The UFC has a nice amount of young Heavyweights in its stable that are PRIME to be built up into STARS. Mirko is still a really big name, so the UFC can use Mirko to build up its young Heavyweight studs. We all know that cro Cop will NEVER be Champion again…but his name still holds weight! So the UFC could feed Mirko to a young fighter like Cain Vallasquez who would maul Cro cop. As impressive as Cain as looked, he is still really young in the game, and doesnt have many match ups under his belt. YOU add a win over a world renowned fighter Like Cro Cop, to a young fighter like Cain’s record, and it would do wonders for his career and future Marketability, and lets face it…Marketability might even be more important then how well you fight. Tito has made himself rich off of Marketability. 1 lackluster fight after another, but he sold the fights with all his pre-fight crap about how he promised performances for the ages, and fought like clay Guida in slow motion…Yet time and Time again, he marketed his way into big fights and big pay days, although his actual in Cage performances were not Worth a DAMN!
4)You match up Cro cop against Legends like Couture or a rematch with Nog, and you still get a really marketable fight which would make the UFC a ton of money. Lets face it, sooner or later the fountain of youth will run out for couture and NOG. When it runs out, they will officially be completely out of title contention. When that happens, the uFC could still sell a lot of ppv’s by matching up Cro cop vs. Couture or Nog even though they are long removed from their fighting PRIME. I think the perfect idea, is that when couture loses a few frights in a row, realizes that he will never be champion again. HIs Farewell fight should be against Cro cop. It is a fight that the entire world as always wanted to see…and since I dont see either fighter ever being champion again, why not match these two up against each other for Randy’s farewell fight? Its a fight that the world deserves to see. Better late then Never…and the UFC could still profit big time from that kind of fight.
most importantly like you said, he is HUGE internationally.
Dana White’s goal is to build this thing internationally, so Cro Cop is as big of a draw $ wise as Lesnar in the respect that Cro Cop can get international fans to watch the UFC that normally wouldn’t.
Then Dana hopes to keep these fans watching after they get a taste. So Cro Cop = $$ (international $)
Also, your posts are super long John.
: )
I agree with your points John, but the only thing that would entice Cro Cop to function as essentially a high profile “gate keeper” for the UFC’s young HW talent would be money. Is that enough to keep Cro Cop happy, or is he under the delusion that he can still be the UFC HW champ? Maybe I’m wrong, but I like to think most fighters, especially well decorated ones like Cro Cop are in it to win the belt. I’m with you though, that 250 + pd wrestlers are a very bad matchup for Cro Cop. Shoot…LHW wrestlers would give him trouble.
YOU guys make some great points…and your question cL is a question I would like to have the answers to.
If I had it my way, I would MAKE Cro Cop cut down to 205 lbs. In the past, he has said that it would be impossible because his legs are too big…But he only weighs about 225 lbs. Guys like Forrest and Rampage are his size if not bigger. He needs to stop being lazy and learn how to cut weight.
Stylistically, There are so many better match ups for him at LHW then HW..IMO
I would love to see Mirko fight against light heavyweights like:
Rich Franklin
Forrest
Rampage
Shogun
Machida
Rashad
THiago Silva
All of those would be AMAZING match ups!
But if the UFC wants to really make MEGA Millions…They would Match up:
Cro cop vs. Anderson Silva at a catchweight of 215 lbs…somewhere in the UK! Now that match up would pull in some SERIOUS $$$!!!!!
I’ll buy that. I’m very curious as to what the new deal with Cro Cop is? Good stuff!
yeah, I cant wait to learn the details about his new deal.
Sorry to get off topic, but before I forget I gotta ask you guys a question. Any of you guys remember the Muy Tai animal fighing in mma under the name: MALAIPET Team Diamond?
He used to fight for EliteXC is its smaller shows called ShoXC. I watched a replay of a shoEX event on showtime last night, and he lost a thrilling fight to Tarzan! I want to see more of his Muy Tai!
Anyone know when he will be fighting again and for what organization?
John I love how you randomly TYPE in all caps IN your posts.
Anyway, I’d love to SEE Cro Cop in the LHW division in the UFC. There ARE a lot OF great MATCH ups for him there (a lot of strikers). Imagine Cro Cop vs Rampage or Rashad, Liddell or Franklin. I’d pay TO see it FOR sure!
Remember that when you are 36 it is very hard to cut 20 lbs.
At 20-30 it is much easier, your body cuts water easier younger. That is why Tito is starting to talk about fighting Fedor, he will run out of weight cutting steam soon.
After 35 it is super tough. *not impossible.
Andy-Cro Cop in Manchester, make it happen. I’ve lost respect for Cro Cop over this debacle but there are still a lot of interesting fights for him in the UFC, other than Overreem there aren’t that many quality HWs in Dream. Dos Santos-Cro Cop would be an awesome fight and show how far along Junior has come and whether CC is still relevant to the HW division.
Funny that once again Lorenzo has to sort everything out when Dana’s temper got the best of him and cost him in negotiations. First Fitch, now CC, these blunders aren’t making Dana look very competent.
John Malaipet will fight in Japan soon…can’t remember the date or the org though!He was at Ritual friday yesterday for a pre-fight party!
Malaipet Highlight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ih3gdK8OY&feature=fvsr
John G – how many more times did u wanna say that Cro Cop will NEVER be UFC HW champ in your long-ass post? Yes, I can’t see him winning the belt but I can see him in the top 3 of the UFC HW division if he fights to the best of his ability – and that’s pretty impressive if you ask me.
I dunno John, I’ve got legs like Cro Cop and I weigh 210lb – but then I am 5′7″
At fighting weight I can cut to 155 at a push so may or may not be possible for him to get to 205, age isn’t on his side for big cuts. 205 does make much more sense though.
I think if he could get his dynamic kicking back in order I’d like to see him take on Lesnar and give him a dozen or so of those left hammers to the head, but realistically that’s just because I’d like to see Lesnar kicked in the head a dozen times, preferably with his hands tied behind his back and blindfolded… I don’t know why I feel that way but then I kinda like Bisping so who am I for an opinion
Cro cop can probably beat Mur…!
alpha: THanks a lot man for steering me in the right direction as regards to Maliapet. Muy Tai and Ju jitsu are my favorite aspects of mma, and Malaipets Muy Tai is FOCKING Brutal! I would love to see him appear on THE Ultimate Fighter.
His muy Tai record is around 216-17. THATS INSANE! I need to see more of this guy!
tHanks for the highlight as well Alpha!
Much appreciated!
No problem John!Yeah Muay Thai/KickBoxing and BJJ are my favorite aspects of the game too.I definitely have more favoritism for those classes,than GnP and wrestling.
I didn’t know Malaipet MT record was that much “incroyable”.I think he’s a little small for 155 but he’s a beast in MT,so I agree with you…it,would be nice to see him go on TUF.We need more good MT champions,like him in the UFC,instead of been plague by wrestlers at 155.
It’s a shame that Elbe got beat by DaMarques on the fist fight to get in the house,b/c I heard that he is a good MT instructor at TigerMT in Phuket(THE place to go train in Thailand).
To everyone above saying Mirko should go to LHW i would like to go on record as saying that weight cutting sucks and it’s ruining our sport. Weight classes were designed so that people who are at a particular weight could compete with others that are at a similar weight. not so people like Diego Sanchez who couldn’t cut it at his normal weight could cut and fight smaller guys to win. I think weigh ins should take place a couple hours before the fight, thus giving the fighters that actually weigh within 5 pounds of the limit an opportunity for a fair fight. It’s pointless to even have weight classes if people are going to just cut 25 pounds to fight, the welterweight division is from 156-170, when do we see a welterweight weigh in any less than 169, almost never. IMO real fighters that are fighting to test their skills don’t move down in wight they move up. Fedor could make 205 but why the hell would he, he’s tearing dudes up that outweigh him by 20, 30, 40 lbs and more. If you can’t make it fighting guys your own weight then go back to college and become an accountant. Of course the problem is everyone does it, that’s why i think we need to change the date of the weigh ins to fight day.
Nog is only 33 fellows! He was sick! Why do people judge on one fight? I don’t like him, but come on now!
Some of you “MMA Fans” kill me. You think because you have been watching it for a year now, you know everything. Tryst me, you have much to learn!!
PTFO…
I really like the UFC business strategy.
It is kind of like Good Cop/Bad Cop in movies.
You send in the vicious pitt bull to try to sign a deal and the pitt bull goes hog wild when he doesn’t get it. Then you send in the nice guy to come and make a few concessions and he seems like the white knight.
This happened with Fitch too. It is entertaining.
hahaha GOod point!
They’ll match him up against Struve.
I bet the “offer he couldnt refuse” was them covering his entire room with raw chicken and reminding him of all the diarreah he had a few weeks ago.
I think Cro Cop vs. Struve is a great idea. BUt the UFC shouldnt waste that fight on a north American Card. That match up would be best suited for a European UFC card!
IMO, it would be a very exciting and competitive fight! GOod stuff!
I was just gunna say i want to see Hardonk vs CroCop and i look down and you beat me to it. Would be a great matchup.
CRO-COP NEEDS TO RETIRE!!!! haha.
an offer he cant refuse? sounds like a good ole mafia style negotiation. cant blame the guy for not wanting to wait six months to fight.
I agree, 6 months is a long time
especially at his age….CroCop needs to fight and win without any eyepokes next time so there is no question about the outcome. I’d like to see him rematch Kongo lol.
I would really like to see Cro Cop/Kongo 2, but not anytime soon. Mirko has been struggling the past few years mentally, and physically, he is coming back from numerous amount of injuries, so he cant just jump back in against a top 10 fighter like Kongo. Match him up against a few, entertaining young strikers like Hardonk, Dos Santos and Berry…If he can put together a little winning streak then ITS CHEIK KONGO TIME!
Let’s hope Mirko didn’t wake up to find any severed horse heads sharing his bed…..
Let’s also hope Cro Cop can return to top form. There still seems to be something a little off kilter about him the last couple years. I’m not convinced he’s the most stable guy for whatever reason. Back and forth decisions, sicknesses before fights, injuries, and lackluster performances in fights almost to an extreme. Not exactly the recipe to challenge the top rung of HW’s.
yeaaaaa!
where is the holiday hottie?
I think this whole thing has reviled who his true fans are I am happy that I gave Cro cop the benifit of the dought
I hear that UFC 107 has been made official!
Rampage vs. Rashad at UFC 107 in Memphis!
cro cop… arrogant prick
i woud love to see him fight against hardonk
leg kicks would fly all over
How is cro cop arrogant??? maybe ive missed something in his career but he always seems like a nice humble guy to me.
Im with you on cro cop vs hardonk… That would be fun to watch.
107! Thats a long time from now!! Why cant they just have events every other week? I know I’d buy them! Something tells me that Page is right, a fight with Rashad will be boring. Rashad will be too scared to get ko’d again so he wont try to engage…..this fight has the potential for a great stand up war, but who knows???
How about Crocop vs Liddell ???? Now that would be fun watching them fight
Anything to keep Overeem from booking a match with Cro-cop is where Cro-Cop will go.
Yea because he has no say in who he fights, right?… If he doesnt wanna fight overeem again i can understand.. its not like it would be a good fight for him, we all saw what happend the first time.. besides there at diff stages of there career’s right now, oveerem is just becoming a serious contender and cro cop is on the downside of his career… a couple years ago cro cop would have kicked his focking head off! overeem is a 1st class douche bag anyway!
John g
I remember malipet
He is a sick muay thia fighter
I think he just fought and won a decision not sure who but it was recent
I kust read in magazine
he is alternate on TUF 10
Mirko wanted to fight more and not once every 6 months. Dana is saying fine, you want to fight more?! Dana thinks Mirko will lose if he fights more than once every 6 months. Mirko is not exactly a young stud or the feared fighter he once was. My feeling is Dana is out to embarrass him.
i wanna see crop berry that would be an amazing fight stand up war i dont see cro cop winning tho srry
I bet you that Cro Cop headlines UFC 103. It is the only UFC card that needs a main event and is open. All the other cards are booked.
Who would crocop headline it against though ???
Who cares? Crocop is washed up and worthless. All this fuss is stupid.
i agree he wont hang with ufc, he already proved he cant against kongo and gonzaga and their not top ufc heavyweights.. no ground game either, this guys still hyped from his pride days but those days are over. I hope he gets a legit heavyweight to send him packing again..
I would say that they offered him a one fight in LHW and then Title shot… I would think Chuck, Vera or maybe even Franklin. Who knows maybe a catch weight match vs Machida… Could you imagine a win by cro-cop with a follow up match at LHW a fight or two later. That would make hype…
Or maybe a rematch with Gonzaga then Kongo after Kongo gets killed by who ever keeps the hw title…
3 Different ways to a short cut for a title.
Maybe UFC(Asia) or UFC (EUROPE) heck even UFC (EURASIA). Something like that and All he will have to do is fight in Outside NA. He would make a strong figure head for such a branch… Taking over where Pride left off.