Tag: Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic

Mike Tyson Was Contracted to Fight Fedor and Cro Cop in PRIDE

I remember watching Mike Tyson calling out Bob Sapp (*Editor’s note: How the hell is Bob Sapp only 35?) after "The Beast" beat Kimo Leopoldo at K-1 World Grand Prix event in Las Vegas in 2003 and thinking, "Man, I wish Tys…

I remember watching Mike Tyson calling out Bob Sapp (*Editor’s note: How the hell is Bob Sapp only 35?) after "The Beast" beat Kimo Leopoldo at K-1 World Grand Prix event in Las Vegas in 2003 and thinking, "Man, I wish Tyson would fight somebody good in MMA."

Well, it turns out that  in 2003 "Iron" Mike had a contract with PRIDE and was supposed to fight two of the Japanese promotion’s best heavyweights: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic and Fedor Emelianenko.

The bouts never came to fruition for several different reasons, but if they had, Dana White likely wouldn’t have had any interest in bringing James Toney into the UFC to solve the, "Who would win between a boxer and a mixed martial artist?" question.

Imagine how differently each man’s career would have turned out if Tyson had knocked Emelianenko and Filipovic out in the 2004 PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix.

The translation of the story from  PRIDE: Secret Files courtesy of MMA-Japan.com is after the jump:

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Roy Nelson Left in Heavyweight Purgatory After Carwin’s Withdrawal

Filed under: UFCUFC heavyweight Roy Nelson was four days removed from knee surgery when the UFC approached him about fighting on the Jan. 1 card. His doctor advised against it, but “Big Country” agreed anyway, which is what it makes it all the more pai…

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UFC heavyweight Roy Nelson was four days removed from knee surgery when the UFC approached him about fighting on the Jan. 1 card. His doctor advised against it, but “Big Country” agreed anyway, which is what it makes it all the more painful to have the bout pulled out from under him now that his opponent, Shane Carwin, has withdrawn with a back injury, Nelson told MMA Fighting.

“I was bummed, but the only reason I was bummed was just because of how much I was pushed to fight Shane. Because of my knee surgery, my doctor said I shouldn’t fight until like February or March, and I kind of got pushed into it.

“That’s the reason why it hurts, more than anything, is just the fact that I was pushed into something that I really didn’t want to do but was going to do just because you don’t want to hear the ‘Are you an f-ing fighter?’ speech. Everybody knows, you never fight 100%, but it was an opportunity and I was more than willing to jump on the opportunity.”

Falling Action: Best and Worst of UFC 119

Filed under: UFCSometimes I feel like MMA fans, much like MMA judges, are afflicted with a disease that makes us place undue importance on whatever we saw last.

That would explain why a takedown in the final minute of the round is somehow enough to n…

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Sometimes I feel like MMA fans, much like MMA judges, are afflicted with a disease that makes us place undue importance on whatever we saw last.

That would explain why a takedown in the final minute of the round is somehow enough to negate all the punches a fighter took in the first minute, and also why many fans are talking about UFC 119 this morning as if it was the biggest waste of their money since “Waterworld.”

What we saw on Saturday night was an exciting undercard eclipsed by an anti-climactic main event. Whatever highs we may have been riding after watching guys like Sean Sherk and Evan Dunham go at it were obliterated by the time we got to round two of Frank Mir vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. And since that was the last thing we saw before turning off the TV and trudging angrily off to the bed or the bar, it understandably left some people feeling cheated.

Dana White is Not Impressed by Frank Mir’s UFC 119 Non-Performance

(If a fighter’s going to strut like that, Dana wants them to at least have something to strut about.)
To say Dana White is a bit upset with the two fighters from Saturday night’s UFC 119 main event would be a major understatement. A more appropriate s…

(If a fighter’s going to strut like that, Dana wants them to at least have something to strut about.)

To say Dana White is a bit upset with the two fighters from Saturday night’s UFC 119 main event would be a major understatement. A more appropriate statement would be that the UFC president is pissed right off with the lethargic performances put in by Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic and Frank Mir at the Conseco Field House in Indianapolis last weekend.

White spoke to ESPN today and took aim at one half of the duo that made up 119’s final fight — former heavyweight champion, Mir who he hinted that he hasn’t decided whether or not fans will see fight again in the Octagon.

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Exclusive UFC 119 Photo Gallery: Part One

  (If only…) Our talented UFC 119 photographer and comment section regular Jason "J-Dog" Wright was back at the Conseco Field House in Indianapolis Saturday night to snap some exclusive photos for us.
Except for one scary incident pr…

 
(If only…)

Our talented UFC 119 photographer and comment section regular Jason "J-Dog" Wright was back at the Conseco Field House in Indianapolis Saturday night to snap some exclusive photos for us.

Except for one scary incident prior to the Mitrione-Beltran fight (which Ariel Helwani touched on in this interview with Meathead) that nearly cost us some danger pay, J-Dog made it home in one piece with some wicked shots and some great stories to tell the grandkids some day.

Jason was situated by one of the Octagon doors and as such was able to get some candid shots before, during and after each of the fights.

Check out part one of our exclusive UFC 119 photo gallery after the jump.

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The MMA Wrap-Up: Post-UFC 119 Edition

Filed under: UFC, VideosAfter a lackluster main event at UFC 119 this past weekend, the MMA Wrap-Up returns to explore whether a) the Frank Mir-Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic bout was truly as disappointing as it initially seemed, and b) where do both these…

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After a lackluster main event at UFC 119 this past weekend, the MMA Wrap-Up returns to explore whether a) the Frank Mir–Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic bout was truly as disappointing as it initially seemed, and b) where do both these men go from here?

At least one of those is a slightly more complicated question than it appears, but have no fear. The MMA Wrap-Up has absolutely no problem dispensing hasty career advice that will almost certainly not be heeded by anyone at any time. That’s just what we do.

Join me below for a full breakdown on what the future holds for Saturday night’s main eventers, all through the magic of video.