PRESS RELEASE: Cro Cop Back In UFC
These days the boys from Cro Cop team are training in full force. After a long break and highly demanding recovery process, Mirko Cro Cop is ready to fight in MMA again.
All problems with injuries are history and Cro Cop is very optimistic to start another chapter in his career:
„I feel great, the recovery process is going well and we train at high intensity now. I never had such a strong desire to prove myself and I'll climb up again, or die trying.“
Mirko's next fight is set for June 13th in Germany, which means that he's back in the UFC, a place that he didn't have his best moments:
„I decided to fight in the UFC again, because of the stronger compe ion in the heavyweight division. My next opponent will be Mustapha Al-Turk. I didn't do well in my first three appearances - I wasn't myself. By returning to the cage I want to prove that I can still fight at highest level, no matter when or where.“, claims Cro Cop.
UFC 99 will be Cro Cop's first fight this year with the possibility of three fights coming by years end.
„It's hard to talk about concrete plans, but I would really like to fight at least three times this year. I wish to fight against quality opponents and to fight my way up to a le shot but for now, I'll focus only on my next fight and after that we'll see what's going to be on the menu next“, says Cro Cop.
Although the UFC 99 card looks stacked, it seems that the UFC officials can see the benefits of hiring a top European fighter for their first ever UFC show in Germany.
„I want to say thank you Mr. Dana White for your interest and for an invitation back to the UFC. I owe you a lot from our first deal, and I'll make it up to you.“, promises Cro Cop.
All news related to Mirko Cro Cop's career are posted on Mirko's official MMA-ID profile on http://www.mma-id.com/CROCOP and Mirko's official homepage http://www.mirko-crocop.com.
Yours truly,
The CROCOP Team
Last edited by Evan; 05-18-2009 at 06:04 PM.
As a huge CC fan....
I really hope this time around he does something. He has had time to heal up so we'll see. I have a hard time believing he is doing this for money so he must feel physically and mentally fit .
I would love to see him at least contend for the belt. He's only 35 but he has a lot of miles on him.
He'll win his first, then drop 2 in a row and go quietly into the night.
I've got my fingers crossed.
sorry I'm pretty emotional about this topic, I didn't mean to squeeze your hand so hard.
Where's Mr. Dio?
Amazing News, i love it, he is going to do well this time around. The haters can suck it...
As an MMA fan you should be hoping he comes back and dominates..
CC was one of my first favorites in MMA. I hadn't really watched any before, and FSN started showing PRIDE fights late at night. He quickly became my hero. This is great news, I hope he dominates.
Now this is an MMA Fan!!
'S okay, I understand the need for moral support. I'm rooting for the guy pretty hard myself.
Well Mustafa is a tough opponent
Mirko will have some problems with him. CC has good takedown D but Al-Turk is a strong guy, and n the ground Mirko will fail miserably.
I do not think he is able to come back to being top3 fighter he was back in a pride times.
Good
btw. Velasquez vs Kongo will be something
As a true fan of CC, i want to see him retire. He's not the same force he used to be and the game has changed significantly...it's time to hang 'em up.
shush you
Saw a lot of CC during his days at Pride. Good times.
my bad for starting another one =/
no worries!
I hope he does well and have some epic fights that end with head kicks.
But i'm not holding my breath after his last few fights in the UFC.
hopefully he is injury and distraction free. al turk should be a confidence booster imo, crocop should win this one no problem.
And now he is gone again
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns
Notebook: Cro Cop leaves UFC
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Jun 13, 8:14 pm EDT
COLOGNE, Germany – Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship was a short one.
Not long after stopping Mostapha Al-Turk in the first round of UFC 99 on Saturday at Lanxess Arena in his first fight in the UFC since back-to-back losses in 2007, Filipovic informed UFC president Dana White that he had signed a three-fight contract with the Japan-based DREAM.
White had signed Filipovic less than a month ago to a one-fight deal, the first time in more than nine years that he’d done that. He had worked out terms on two additional fights, but said he’d only put pen to paper for Saturday’s bout.
He brought Filipovic back because he knew the Croat is still very popular and Filipovic insisted he wanted to make a run for the le.
ADVERTISEMENT
That proved not to be the truth. After turning down much tougher opposition, including Cain Velasquez, who defeated Cheick Kongo later on the card, he wound up with the lightly regarded Al-Turk.
But instead of getting a shot at big names like Randy Couture or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and fighting his way into le contention, Filipovic opted to bolt for Japan.
“Isn’t that a dirty [expletive] thing to do?” White asked rhetorically after being queried about Filipovic’s deal with DREAM. “He [expletived] me. The first time in the history of the company I do one over the phone. He promised me a three-fight deal and he [expletived] me.”
Filipovic looked unsteady and hardly impressive in defeating Al-Turk, who is winless in the UFC. He never landed one of his vaunted kicks and the fight ended not from a punch but when he poked Al-Turk in the eye with his finger.
Referee Dan Miragliotta didn’t see the poke, so it was regarded as a clean blow and Filipovic won by stoppage.
Filipovic was fighting five months to the day after knee surgery, one of several injuries he said kept him from performing at his best in his first stint in the UFC. Before the fight, he called his 1-2 UFC record “the black spot” on his career.
While speaking with reporters on a prefight conference call, Filipovic enthused about his return and said he was gunning for a le shot. All the while, he apparently knew he was in it for a one-fight deal.
He texted White on White’s cellular phone and told him he wanted to return. White said Filipovic declined numerous opponents.
Apparently, Filipovic, who is from Croatia, wanted to fight in Germany and use the UFC bout as a tuneup. He did and is now Dream bound, but he’ll almost certainly never fight in the UFC again.
“He didn’t keep his word,” White said, who said he’d had a two-hour talk with Filipovic on the day Filipovic texted and asked to be able to return. “He talked about honor and all this other [expletive] and he [expletived] me.
“He fed me this bull [expletive] about wanting to take a run for the le, and what I think he did was, he went out and did this. He turned down every other [expletive] fighter I offered him, because I needed him to fight Cain. He didn’t just poke Al-Turk; he poked me, too.”
As is his custom, Filipovic skipped the postfight news conference and could not be reached to comment on the DREAM deal.
President of UFC's Dana White was unfairly accused Mirko Filipovic for treason
ZAGREB - The same Saturday night in which Mirko Filipovi? for only three minutes nokautirao Britain Mostapha Al Turk, President of American Organization UFC Dana White neargumentirano has accused the Croatian master free fight for the fraud and hypocrisy.
Cro Cop izigrao UFC and goes in a Dream?
Ten days ago Dana White and Cro Cop have a phone made arrangements for the duel on the UFC 99 tournament in kölnskoj Lanxess Arena, leaving open the possibility that cooperation produlji the two tournaments. However, the head of the UFC on Saturday felt cir vented because it is thought that the Croatian gladiator signed a contract with the Japanese Dream.
- Mirko talks about honor and pride, and not held by his word. Told me that he wants to win the UFC's le, only to then went to the Dream. And tonight I got a fly in the ointment, not only Al Turk - told reporters in the White Cologne.
Before you accuse Filipovi?a for hypocrisy, zagreb Whiteovih below empty phrase of honor. UFC leader is angry because Mirko, just as even the best ultimate fighter world; Fyodor Jemjeljanjenko, did not agree to commit two more appearances in the following year.
However, it is not true or that Cro Cop priklonio Dream. Learned that it is not signed, nor for whom, and that it is ready to discuss any offer. Moreover, Mirko is immediately after the victory kölnske expected conversation with Whiteom and surprised the charges UFC's president.
- I'm not clear why the White nasjeo on rumors instead of talking with me. I was hoping that we will talk about the continuation of cooperation, because the only contentious item for a long period between performances. I do not want to sit for months at home and wait for that someone called me to fight. However, I am grateful for the opportunity Whiteu in Cologne and in spite of his heavy words, I do not see reason to not produljimo agreement - explained Mirko after returning from Germany.
White is Cro Copa invited to fight in Cologne in order to use his charisma most popular European fighter, and had proposed two more match, with the condition that should not be fighting under other flags. " Since the Dream also offers three fights, but in only six months, do you wonder what is Mirko still considering both offers?
Outcome of this story can be expected in the coming days. Given the loss of Whiteov in Cologne, it seems that Mirko zasad ring closer to the Japanese than American octagon.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
