LAS VEGAS — After Mirko Cro Cop‘s last fight in the octagon, it was thought he was headed for retirement.
Now it turns out, that was a bit premature.
UFC president Dana White on Wednesday said that Cro Cop asked for and will receive the final agreed-upon fight from his contract at a future date to be determined.
White stated that he and Cro Cop (27-9-2, 1 no decision) had made a deal, and he would “honor my deal.” He offered no further details as to when or who he would face in the bout.
Over his last 11 fights, the once-feared heavyweight star is 5-5 with one no contest, and has been knocked unconscious three times in the last four years. Each of his last two fights — one against Frank Mir, the other against Brendan Schaub — have ended with Cro Cop KO’d.
After the more recent loss to Schaub, White said at the time that he figured it would be Cro Cop’s swan song in the octagon, saying, “Yeah, I’d have to say tonight is probably the last time we’ll see Mirko Cro Cop fight.” Cro Cop, too, floated the idea of retirement, as he has in the past.
Still, it seems the rough stretch is not enough to persuade Cro Cop from hanging up his gloves, nor is it enough to dissuade White from giving him one final fight.
“Do I think he should have retired? Yeah,” White said. “But I don’t think he’s in one of these situations like Chuck Liddell, who needed to retire right then. He’s a man, a grown man, and if he wants to continue to fight, that’s his right. And he still has a fight with me.”