There are very few fighters in this sport who are afforded the opportunities that Mirko Filipovic, better known to most as simply “Cro Cop”, has had.
In the UFC, Filipovic’s record resides at a pedestrian 4-5, with his last two bouts ending on the wrong side of a knockout.
Ironically enough, Cro Cop for many years was considered by many to be the most devastating striker in the heavyweight class, thanks to his K-1 kickboxing background, which includes notable victories over champions Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt and Remy Bonjasky—all men having earned the prestigious K-1 World Grand Prix title.
Cro Cop made a smooth transition into mixed martial arts in 2001, going 7-0-2 in his first nine fights as a professional, quickly becoming a staple in the now defunct PRIDE organization in Japan.
The proud Croatian would go on to challenge for the promotion’s title in 2005 in unarguably the greatest heavyweight match up of that time, against the prolific Fedor Emelianenko.
Cro Cop would fail to capture the belt, though in just over one year’s time became the 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix Tournament winner, defeating the likes of Ikuhisa Minowa, Hidehiko Yoshida, Wanderlei Silva and finally Josh Barnett en route to capturing the prestigious title.
Many thought that it would be a matter of time before the mixed martial arts icon would snatch the UFC strap upon his Octagon entrance in 2007, though subsequent losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo quickly derailed the hype.
Perhaps the worst thing that’s happened in Cro Cop’s career are the glimmer’s of hope he manages to find in some of his recent performances.
Against mid-tier competition in Eddie Sanchez, Mostapha Al-Turk, Anthony Perosh and Pat Barry, the PRIDE veteran has looked sensational—especially in the bout with fellow kickboxer Barry which took place in June of last year. Cro Cop was able to rally back in the third-round to knockdown the dynamic heavyweight and eventually sink in a fight ending rear-naked choke.
In his next, and perhaps final outing, the 37-year-old faces “The Ultimate Fighter” season 10 winner Roy Nelson. “Big Country” is a man that can take a licking and keep on ticking, which Junior dos Santos can attest to. The Brazilian bombed Nelson from start to finish in their August 2010 encounter, where Dos Santos eventually settled for a decision win over the gritty vet.
So why should things be different here for Cro Cop—can he manage to pull himself out his slump against Nelson?
The TUF alumn is in more or less the same predicament as his Croatian counterpart, currently riding on the heels of a two-fight skid, albeit against top-tier competition in Dos Santos and former champion Frank Mir.
The fact of the matter is, Cro Cop was, at one point, believed to be the No. 2-3 heavyweight fighter on the planet, but those days of glory are long behind him, sadly enough.
His chin has been tested in recent bouts, though the results have garnered “F’s” on his report card, having been finished in four of his five losses inside the Octagon, all coming by way of strikes.
Against Nelson, he will meet a man with heavy hands, albeit not very technical, but heavy nonetheless. It’s only a matter of time when Nelson connects to the dome, shutting off the lights, finally, to a career that has perhaps been tarnished with his run inside Octagon, which pays no homage to the legacy that he has left behind.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com