Photo via UFC.com
Opponents will no longer have to fear “Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery” from former PRIDE champ Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovi? (27–10–2, 1NC) as the heavyweight announced his retirement following his loss to Roy ‘Big Country’ Nelson on the main card of UFC 137 last night.
Filipovi? faced Nelson on the pay-per-view card of the Las Vegas event, taking the fight into the third round. Despite putting the former “TUF 10″ winner on the ropes he was unable to finish the former IFL champ. In the third, Nelson would get the better of the Croatian, landing unanswered strikes from top position forcing the referee to step in at 1:30 to end the fight.
Speaking to the fans ‘Cro Cop’ announced his retirement to the world, thanking the fans and the UFC for everything they’ve given him.
“I wanted to say goodbye with a victory, but Roy was just the better fighter tonight. The UFC has been so good to me over the years, and it is hard to leave this company and this sport. Even though I didn’t do as well in the UFC as the rest of my career, I feel like I did everything that I could to have an overall successful career.”
Despite having great success as a K-1 kickboxer, and winning the PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix tournament in 2006, the Croatian fighter was not able to keep the momentum in the Ultimate Fighting Championship by going 4-6 overall and dropping his last three in the Octagon.
At the post fight press conference, UFC President Dana White expressed his admiration.
“Cro Cop’s been a good guy since day we signed him. Again, the guy is a warrior and legend, and done tons of great things in the sport. I know he’s very disappointed in his run in the UFC. But I said it to you guys at the press conference before. I’m 42. At 38, to still be fighting with guys a lot younger, faster and more explosive than you, he came out and did what he said he was going to do. At the press conference he said, ‘I’m going to give you guys a fight. Whether I win or I lose, it won’t be a boring fight like the Frank Mir was. And it was not.”