On Saturday, the UFC made its debut in Poland with UFC Fight Night 64. Heavy on European talent, the card had 12 bouts, most of which included Polish fighters.
The main event was a rematch between Mirko Cro Cop and Gabriel Gonzaga. In their first meeting, Gonzaga landed the infamous head kick that put Cro Cop to sleep and vaulted Gonzaga to a title bout.
This time around, Cro Cop gained revenge with a third-round TKO over Gonzaga. He started slow in the first two rounds but hurt Gonzaga with elbows and finished him on the ground.
What did we learn from this fight? Let’s take a look.
What We’ll Remember From This Fight
The finish. The first two rounds were not great for Cro Cop, as he was tentative and lost those rounds easily.
The third round changed that.
Against the cage, the two heavyweights clinched. Cro Cop got some space, landed a huge elbow that dazed Gonzaga, landed a few more shots and went in for the kill.
It was an awesome finish to an otherwise lackluster bout.
What We Learned About Gonzaga
He may be about done in his MMA career.
For certain, his UFC career has likely been put to rest with his third loss in a row. He was given a bout with Cro Cop, a fighter who is past his prime and hasn’t succeeded at the high levels recently, and took a crushing defeat.
He looked good early on, but slowed in the third round and suffered the vicious finish. That loss was huge for Gonzaga.
What We Learned About Cro Cop
He’s still the king of rematches.
Cro Cop had never lost a rematch coming into this fight, and many people thought this would be the first time that would happen. Instead, he gained revenge yet again, showing his resilience and showing why he’s always dangerous the second time around.
It was a huge win for him and helped soften the blow of a head kick knockout many years ago.
What’s Next for Gonzaga?
I would assume at this point that Napao will be cut seeing as he is 0-3 in his last three.
However, if the UFC keeps him around, a “loser leaves town” bout should be afoot. He’s certainly got some men who could help fit that bill with him, so fighting Antonio Silva or Daniel Omielanczuk could be in the cards if Joe Silva keeps him around.
What’s Next for Cro Cop?
I would have loved to see Cro Cop retire on the biggest revenge win of his career, but we know that’s not the case. The gritty veteran will fight on.
He’s a marquee heavyweight who isn’t in his prime anymore, but he attracts eyes. That’s why he should be treated as a novelty fighter.
Perhaps a fight against the winner of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira/Stefan Struve would be best for him. It makes sense and has main card quality.
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