Tag: Mirko Cro Cop

Big Nog Out of UFC 119 With Injury, Cro Cop to Fill in Against Frank Mir

(Look, we’re just as shocked as you are. Photo via LowKick.com)
According to Fighters Only, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will be unable to face Frank Mir in their headlining rematch at UFC 119 (September 25th, Indianapolis), due to an injury that will re…

Mirko Cro Cop Pat Barry UFC 115
(Look, we’re just as shocked as you are. Photo via LowKick.com)

According to Fighters Only, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira will be unable to face Frank Mir in their headlining rematch at UFC 119 (September 25th, Indianapolis), due to an injury that will require surgery. Which sucks for him, but on the bright side, you didn’t really care about that fight anyway. Stepping in for Big Nog will be Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, who has been surging back to relevance with back-to-back stoppage victories over Anthony Perosh and Pat Barry. It’s a huge opportunity for Cro Cop, who would finally become a legitimate heavyweight contender in the UFC with a win over the former champion. Mir hasn’t competed since his TKO loss to Shane Carwin at UFC 111, which followed his quick spanking of Cheick Kongo last December.

Though Nogueira had to undergo knee surgery in 2009, his latest injury is possibly hip-related. Big Nog has also battled staph infections in recent years, which delayed his meeting with Cain Velasquez, and supposedly affected his first performance against Frank Mir at UFC 92. After suffering the only two stoppage losses of his career in his last three fights, it seems that Nogueira has finally learned his lesson about fighting hurt. But after so many tough battles, injuries, and illnesses, will his body ever fully recover?

Report: Cro Cop in for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir at UFC 119

Filed under: UFC, NewsAntonio Rodrigo Nogueira has suffered a training injury that will likely require surgery and has pulled out of his UFC 119 main-event rematch with Frank Mir. Stepping in for the heavyweight will be Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

The …

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Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has suffered a training injury that will likely require surgery and has pulled out of his UFC 119 main-event rematch with Frank Mir. Stepping in for the heavyweight will be Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

The news comes from Fighters Only magazine, citing a source close to the Nogueira camp, and comes just six weeks before the UFC’s Indiana debut.

Nogueira (32-6-1, 3-2 UFC) reportedly suffered a hip injury that will require surgery. Mir (13-5, 11-5 UFC) beat Nogueira when they first met at UFC 92 in December 2008 by knockout.

Pat Barry Told Mirko “Cro Cop” His Hand Was Broken During UFC 115 Bout

Now depending on how you’ve been spending your free time since June (as certain ‘recreational activities’ have been known to diminish one’s memory), you may or may not recall Pat Barry dropping Mirko “Cro Cop” at UFC 115, only to let the legendary fighter get back to his feet. At the time many were perplexed […]

PAT BARRY

Now depending on how you’ve been spending your free time since June (as certain ‘recreational activities’ have been known to diminish one’s memory), you may or may not recall Pat Barry dropping Mirko “Cro Cop” at UFC 115, only to let the legendary fighter get back to his feet. At the time many were perplexed by the fact that Barry didn’t swarm in for the finish, particularly because the bout soon turned in Cro Cop’s favor, who went on to tap out his younger opponent in the third round.

Well as it turned out, Barry had a pretty damn good reason as to why he didn’t swarm Cro Cop early in the bout; the punch that put Mirko on his ass also shattered Barry’s hand. We’re guessing searing pain like that justifies some hesitation…In an interesting interview with MMA Fighting Barry discussed not only breaking his hand in the fight, but also his foot, which apparently had Cro Cop wondering soon after:

“We were on the ground in the second and he was on top of me punching me and he asked me what was wrong,” said Barry. “He said, ‘What’s wrong with you? Why’d you stop fighting?’ I told him, ‘I broke my hand,’ and he was like, ‘Bullsh*t.’ I said, ‘No sir. My hand is broken. That hand is gone.’”

Wow. There’s some honesty for you. Maybe Barry’s injuries partially explain why Cro Cop has been humming and hawing about retirement; taking nothing away from the legend, but this does dampen the ‘Cro Cop’s back’ mood a little no?

Pat Barry Talks About the Excruciating Pain of Breaking His Hand and Foot in Cro Cop Fight

(What’s the best way to say "I’m sorry" to a guy who kicks people in the head for a living? PicProps: UFC.com)
Full disclosure time, PotatoNation. In the immediate aftermath of UFC 115, the asshole Weekend Editor of this website (that would b…


(What’s the best way to say "I’m sorry" to a guy who kicks people in the head for a living? PicProps: UFC.com)

Full disclosure time, PotatoNation. In the immediate aftermath of UFC 115, the asshole Weekend Editor of this website (that would be me) wrote a piece criticizing Pat Barry for doing too much grippin’-and-grinnin’ in the Octagon during his submission loss to Mirko Cro Cop. Now that new shit has come to light – including but not limited to an insightful interview with Old Dad published Sunday over on MMAFighting.com – I’d like to say: Damn, playa. My bad.

Turns out, after breaking both his right hand and right foot during the first round, Barry was coping with excruciating pain and what he himself describes as “complete, oh-shit-I-don’t-know-what-to-do panic” for the remainder of the bout.  Viewed with the benefit of that information, Barry’s performance seems not tentative and awe-struck as I first implied, but actually extremely courageous. So yeah, sorry about that stuff I said earlier, Pat.

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UFC 115 Injury Report: Franklin’s Arm, Liddell’s Face, Barry’s Hand/Foot, Cro Cop’s Ham

(Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com’s UFC 115 Fight Night Photos gallery.)
Chuck Liddell may have lost his ability to take a punch, but he still had enough offensive firepower at UFC 115 to break Rich Franklin’s arm with the first body kick he threw. …

Chuck Liddell Rich Franklin UFC 115 broken arm
(Photo courtesy of MMAFighting.com’s UFC 115 Fight Night Photos gallery.)

Chuck Liddell may have lost his ability to take a punch, but he still had enough offensive firepower at UFC 115 to break Rich Franklin’s arm with the first body kick he threw. Following their meeting on Saturday night, Ace confirmed that he broke his left ulna during the fight, and would be in a cast for at least eight weeks. As the former UFC middleweight champ told reporters at the post-fight press conference:

"I definitely wasn’t going to quit — I’ve broken bones before and continued fighting — but there was part of me that was wondering what kind of strategy I was going to use to win the fight with a broken left arm in the second and third rounds." 

…proving once again that knocking your opponent out early is always the best gameplan. (Are you listening, Pat?) Liddell woke up from his knockout with a horribly split lip and a gash over his left eye, but that didn’t stop him from making an appearance at his afterparty. A photographic timeline of Chuck’s night continues after the jump.

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Rich Franklin Puts Chuck Liddell on Ice; Underdogs Have Their Day at UFC 115

Filed under: UFC, NewsNo matter the sport, the great ones always seem to hold on a bit too long. Emmitt Smith closed out his football career as a struggling tailback for the Arizona Cardinals, Babe Ruth hit .181 in his last year for the Boston Braves a…

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Rich Franklin knocks out Chuck Liddell at UFC 115.No matter the sport, the great ones always seem to hold on a bit too long. Emmitt Smith closed out his football career as a struggling tailback for the Arizona Cardinals, Babe Ruth hit .181 in his last year for the Boston Braves and Michael Jordan clanged jumpers off the iron for the lowly Washington Wizards.

The last memory of Chuck Liddell in the Octagon is also likely to be a sight that most fans would rather not remember. After a spirited round in which he showed more variety to his offense than he’s shown in years, it all came crashing down around the legend. Despite his newfound diet and his hard work, the lasting image of Liddell from UFC 115 was like the few that had come in the fights directly before it: Liddell falling backwards, his head bouncing backwards to the mat as he fell unconscious. This time the punch came from Rich Franklin, putting a close on the event, and likely Liddell’s career.

Asked if it was the end for the UFC Hall of Famer, UFC President Dana White answered directly.