(Mirko, good to see you again, old buddy!! Uh….Mirko?)
Well, it’s official: We have entered the era of the UFC signing UFC washouts.
As first reported by BloodyElbow last night and confirmed by the UFC shortly thereafter, Mirko Cro Cop has once again signed with the UFC. As in 40-year old Mirko Cro Cop. As in 0-3 in his past 3 UFC fights and 3-4 in his past 7 overall Mirko Cro Cop. There aren’t enough TheRockeyeroll gifs on the Internet to do this news justice.
Why, OH WHY did the UFC re-sign Cro Cop, you ask? Out of spite, obviously:
The source says that Bellator MMA had been “very close” to signing Filipovic but that the UFC got wind of the deal and stepped in with a big offer. The source says this was “almost certainly” for no other reason than to keep Filipovic away from Bellator and Spike TV and to deprive Bellator frontman Scott Coker – formerly the head of Strikeforce – ammunition with which to work.
(*exhale*) Where do I begin?
Like most of you, I was a huge fan of Cro Cop in his heyday. Just like I was a big Chuck Liddell fan, a big Randy Couture fan, and so on and so forth. This is not to tell you that I am some bandwagon-hopping MMA noob, but rather, that I have always been a fan of watching the best athletes in the world compete in their physical primes. And as a fan of these guys, I find myself genuinely concerned for their health even when they seem to be the furthest thing from it. Legends fade, legacies end, and the cyclical nature of life goes on.
But this, this is the equivalent of a PGA Seniors Tour, except that the seniors are still competing against up-and-comers, and instead of maybe slicing a ball or two into the woods, they get knocked the f*ck out like Mirko was in his last three UFC fights. Mirko Cro Cop is no longer in his physical prime, and this is not meant as a knock against him in any way, shape, or form. Mirko Cro Cop is 40 years old, has suffered 4 TKO losses in the UFC, and is coming off back-to-back wins over Satoshi Ishii. Nothing about this says UFC-caliber, and to declare that the UFC’s signing of him is anything other than batshit insane is, well…batshit insane.
It’s 2015. Mirko Cro Cop has been re-signed by the UFC. CM Punk has been signed by the UFC. Rampage Jackson has been re-signed by the UFC. Kimbo Slice has been signed by Bellator. If you are still under the belief that MMA *isn’t* facing an identity crisis, look no further than these facts. The UFC is failing has failed to create any new stars not named Conor McGregor, so like an 80′s rock band in desperate need of a quick buck, the promotion is embarking on a reunion tour, playing just the hits.
How long do you think it will be before the UFC forces The Iceman *out of* retirement?