| Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is a heavyweight Mixed | | | | Fedor, or Fedor submitting or ground and pounding |
| Martial Arts fighter with a record of 22-4-2. That's | | | | Cro Cop. The fight did not go that way at all. |
| an awfully impressive record, but the record does | | | | While Fedor did win a narrow but unanimous |
| not tell the whole story. However, the record is a | | | | decision, Mirko showed well. He avoided |
| nice starting point. | | | | submissions, worked well from his back and |
| Let's examine "Cro Cop's" record, starting with his | | | | showed that he has become much more than |
| losses. Mirko's four losses come at the hands of | | | | just a great stand up fighter. In the end, Fedor |
| some of the best fighters in MMA history, they | | | | was just a little too strong and a little too |
| are (in reverse chronological order): | | | | talented. Today, Fedor remains the Pride |
| 1) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira - Former Pride | | | | heavyweight champion and is likely the best |
| heavyweight champion. | | | | heavyweight fighter in the world, but many would |
| 2) Kevin Randleman - Former UFC heavyweight | | | | like to see a rematch with Mirko. |
| champion. | | | | Mark Hunt is Mirko Cro Cop's most recent defeat. |
| 3) Fedor Emelianenko - Current Pride heavyweight | | | | This fight took place in 2005 and personally I |
| champion. | | | | believe Mirko did enough to win. However, the |
| 4) Mark Hunt - Former K-1 Grand Prix champion. | | | | judges gave a split decision to Hunt. Let's |
| Hold on, has this guy ever lost to someone who | | | | remember that in this fight Mirko was fighting a |
| didn't hold the belt? To anyone who at one time | | | | K-1 Grand Prix champion, so it's not surprising that |
| or another wasn't at the very top of the sport? | | | | most of the fight was standing up. It's also not |
| No, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is the real deal. I said | | | | surprising that it was very close as two of the |
| earlier that the record does not tell the whole | | | | worlds best strikers (and the man with the worlds |
| story, so let's analyze these losses a little and see | | | | hardest head) were fighting. Hunt is nearly |
| what we can figure out. | | | | impossible to knock out. |
| Mirko Cro Cop's loss to Antonio Nogueira was by | | | | Mirko has also won twenty two fights, his last |
| arm bar submission...in 2003. This is a fight that | | | | five in a row and won the Pride open weight |
| Mirko was dominating up until the submission. It | | | | tournament held in 2006. He won that tournament |
| was four years ago, which is a lifetime to a | | | | by defeating Minowa, Yoshida, Silva and Barnett. |
| fighter who was, until that time, primarily a stand | | | | While Minowa was expected, Yoshida is a Judo |
| up fighter. It's obvious that Cro Cop took this loss | | | | gold medalist, Silva is the pride middleweight |
| to heart as he hasn't been submitted since. | | | | champion (middleweight is up to 205 in Pride) and |
| Kevin Randleman was the next fighter to defeat | | | | Josh Barnett is a former UFC heavyweight |
| Cro Cop and he did it in style. He knocked out | | | | champion. He defeated both Silva and Barnett in |
| Mirko, who is widely considered to be the best | | | | the same night. |
| striker in the world. I have no explanation for this. | | | | It 's Mirko's fight against Silva which spawned the |
| Certainly Kevin Randleman is a powerful man and | | | | title for this piece. He was so overwhelmingly |
| very fast for a man of his size, but to out strike | | | | dominant in all aspects of that fight that it is |
| Mirko Filipovic, that must be a mis-print. No, it's not | | | | difficult for me to picture any MMA fighter, in any |
| a mis print, however he did not out strike Mirko, | | | | weight class defeating Mirko Cro Cop at this point. |
| he landed one big punch, timed just right and it | | | | Certainly I don't see any competition in the UFC. |
| floored Cro Cop. No excuses, no explanation, | | | | Once Mirko wins the UFC heavyweight title (he will |
| Kevin Randleman nailed Mirko and Mirko paid the | | | | win it), Dana White will need to stop looking for |
| price. | | | | someone who can beat Tim Silvia and start |
| Fedor Emelianenko was the next man in Mirko's | | | | looking for someone who can compete with Mirko |
| short list of defeats. Many thought that this fight | | | | "Cro Cop"! Can anyone say "Fedor"! |
| would either be won by Cro Cop knocking out | | | | Keep following the fights! |