Tag: Antonio Rodrigo

Big Nog’s Boxing Coach Calls For Rematch With Cro Cop; Filipovic says ‘Let’s Do It in Rio’


(Man, those were the days.)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic responded yesterday to recent comments Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s boxing coach Luis Dorea made in which the Brazilian trainer called for a rematch between his fighter and the Croatian PRIDE veteran.

Dorea told Tatame last week that he would love to see the two former PRIDE legends square off one more time before they retire and that the match-up would be a perfect first bout back for Nogueira, who has been sidelined several months after undergoing double-knee surgery in 2010.


(Man, those were the days.)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic responded yesterday to recent comments Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s boxing coach Luis Dorea made in which the Brazilian trainer called for a rematch between his fighter and the Croatian PRIDE veteran.

Dorea told Tatame last week that he would love to see the two former PRIDE legends square off one more time before they retire and that the match-up would be a perfect first bout back for Nogueira, who has been sidelined several months after undergoing double-knee surgery in 2010.

“I’d like to see him fighting [Mirko] Cro Cop. If it doesn’t happen in August, it can be in September, October… But it’s a fight I’d like to see. I’ve seen Cro Cop saying things about it, saying he’d like to fight Rodrigo. They’re two legends, two big names… It really would be an interesting fight to watch in MMA. As for the when, to me, it’ll only happen in August if he’s 100% healed. Rodrigo has a big heart, he really loves doing it and he’s fought while not 100% for his fans, because of his commitment, because he respects UFC, so he has fought while injured. Rodrigo is sick now; he’s injured, he’s having fevers… But, as he always overcomes his own obstacles,” Dorea explained. “Rodrigo is an example to be followed inside and outside the Octagon for the things he does. Minotauro shows a lot confidence for us, but now, for him to get into a fight, he has to be 100% healed. He’ll only fight in August if he’s 100%”. He has a full team of physiotherapists helping him, and he’s doing great on his healing process… But it’s a fight we’d like to see: Cro Cop vs. Rodrigo.”

Cro Cop was contacted by Fighters Only yesterday and he told the UK-based magazine’s web editor, John Joe O’Regan, that he would gladly accept the bout and said he would love to do it in Brazil in August on the UFC 134 card set for Rio de Janeiro.

“Yes I saw the comments made by Nogueira’s boxing coach and I agree,” Filipovic stated via text message. “I am ready to fight Nogueira any time, even in Brazil in August.”

Filipovic is 0-2 in his last two outings with both losses coming by way of devastating knockout. In his last bout against Brendan Schaub at UFC 128 he was holding his own against the former TUF 10 contestant, but with just 1:16 remaining in in the fight he walked into a counter-punch that left him sprawled out on the canvas wondering where he was and asking, “What just happened?”

When asked afterwards if the fight with Schaub would be Filipovic’s last in the Octagon, UFC president Dana White said, “Yeah, I’d probably have to say that’s the last time we see Mirko “Cro Cop” fight [in the UFC] again,” but if we’ve learned anything from White, it’s that nothing he says is set in stone, so you never know.

Roy Nelson Talks MMA Media, The Art of Self-Promotion and Lays Out His Plans for 2011

(Besides his go-for-broke style of fighting, Big Country’s penchant for telling it like it is has made him a fan favorite.)
Roy Nelson stopped by The Bum Rush Radio Show recently and as always, the outspoken UFC heavyweight contender didn’t pull a…


(Besides his go-for-broke style of fighting, Big Country’s penchant for telling it like it is has made him a fan favorite.)

Roy Nelson stopped by The Bum Rush Radio Show recently and as always, the outspoken UFC heavyweight contender didn’t pull any punches when discussing the topics we broached.

When asked about his recently publicized contract dispute with Roy Jones Junior’s Square Ring Promotions, "Big Country" says the frivolous lawsuit, which came about eight months ago is old news and that reports that he didn’t have his manager or lawyer read through the contract are false. He says that he was given the impression that SRP was no longer promoting MMA events and that his obligation to the organization (who only promoted two events and at time of writing has no other cards planned) was completed.

"It’s pretty much eight-month-old news. There’s nothing really new and exciting. It’s just a lot of legal processes. In the United States anybody can sue anybody. This has been going on for months and if this is a new story that people are writing about now, somebody hasn’t done their homework," Nelson says. "From my understanding, there was no further obligation with them. We were trying to get some fights with them and we helped them out a bit [with setting up some matches] because they were doing some smaller shows and they wanted to get into the MMA business. Now, apparently they aren’t getting into the MMA business."

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