Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic: ‘I haven’t decided that this is the end’
In a week of retirements and semi firings from the UFC, it appears now, Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic has changed his mind about quitting MMA.
The former Pride champion spoke with Croation newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, and said he thinks he will honor his final two bouts remaining on his current UFC contract, “Often things can get on top of you but I cannot say that I don’t love this sport. It’s hard for me to decide now but I think that I will do these last two fights for UFC. This thing is stronger than me. Sometimes the mind says yes but the heart says no.”
After suffering a third round loss to Junior Dos Santos at UFC 103, by way of verbal submission, it seemed the Croatian fighter was all but done with mixed martial arts. He was quoted after the fight as saying he didn’t have the hunger anymore, and his storied career was apparently coming to end. It was also reported by Nokaut.com that his training partners were to disband because they were no longer needed, and all accounts it looked like Filipovic was done after his third run in the UFC.
But after the interview with the Croatian newspaper it appears the once feared fighter is not ready after all, “Take for example, when a man spends 30 years in prison, you let him out; he robs a store and takes only a pack of cigarettes, just to be returned to prison because they can not live outside. This is my fear. The problem is that my way of life is saturated with this military discipline, which does not allow for such things as Christmas or New Year holidays. Training is never a problem – I think I missed five or six sessions in my entire life and never just because I couldn’t be bothered.”
With the majority of his life being a fighter, it comes as no surprise that Filipovic it not ready to quit yet. He has entertained the thought more than a few times, but has always found his way back to the ring. The way Mirko tells it, it will be his decision alone when he hangs it up, “I thank everyone for their support, for watching and following me, but I hate that I am expected to answer to people,” he said about retirement. “This is my decision. My blood, my sweat, my tears – as such I don’t owe anybody anything. The day I say I won’t do it anymore I’ll stick to my word. But I still haven’t said that and I haven’t decided that this is the end. I know I must rest well and decide.”
Jason Polley is is a contributor to FiveOuncesofPain.com
| All posts by Jason Polley
I Think it is time
maybe he should take a long break and find that burning fire again
it has been many years of nonstop fighting and wears on your body and mainly on your Brain
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I keep saying that what he needs to do is stop training in his backyard ASAP. I remember Ray Sefo. He lost 7 of his last 8 fights, then he decided to go to XTreme Couture, and came back way better. Even managed to score a decision victory over Hong Man Choi that, as much as he’s not a good fighter, his height alone makes him too dangerous in any stand up competition.
Find a better training camp, Mirko!
And personally, I also think he should drop to 205.
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Cro Cop has always been a very good kickboxer fighting in MMA. Very much like OG fighters were to other disciplines like Royce Gracie – Jiu-jitsu, Mark Coleman – wrestling, Maurice Smith – KickBoxing.
Unfortunately, for him, it’s not 1999 anymore when these type of fighters could get away with their one-dimensional skills.
The brutal KO’s he’s delivered over the years (in Pride) has giving him an arrogance against learning new skills and when things don’t go his way he usually becomes very passive (as he did against Fedor, Kongo, Hunt). I think it’s time for him to call it a career.
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oh fuck, here we go again….
you’re done, son.
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liddell vs crocop
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“Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic: ‘I haven’t decided that this is the end”
I have! I was a fan of the guy that beat up Barnett, Wanderlei and Aleks but it looks like that guy has long gone. I mean is that a new move? the punch/push.
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Cro Cop needs to drop to 205 and move to a new camp OR retire, because anywhere in between the two is going to end badly for him.
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“I keep saying that what he needs to do is stop training in his backyard ASAP” — completely agree. When I think of his camp and his training methods.. for some reason I picture a bunch of old guys telling him to lift cinder blocks over his head.
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At least he is man enought to admitt he has some issuse. I agree take some time and move camps. a change of the background can do a whole lot of differance. dropping down to 205????? only if his hear is into it cause that could be great.
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I still think he could do damage at 205, assuming he can properly make the weight cut. Obviously he won’t hold any belts, but I think he could pose problems for some of the better LHW’s
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He’ll change his mind several more times. Fighting/combat or preparing for fighting/combat has been his life for several decades. It’s not easy to walk away, especially if he doesn’t have any other interests or a second career mapped out. But once you say out loud that you want to quit, it’s just a matter of time.
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You haven’t decided yet huh? The way you’ve looked in your last few fights is like your heart has already decided for you because it’s not there anymore.
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He can take some time off and maybe rededicate himself, Starforsaken said it good that maybe another camp would do him well.
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take 1-2 years off
that way you will either forget about fighting
or
recapture that fire that made you take people’s heads off with that left leg home run hit
thank you Cro Cop
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he has just had time off, guys he is done, deal with it.
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Just because he can’t beat the top guys in the sport anymore doesn’t mean he’s done.
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