UFC 110 Post-Fight: Mirko Cro Cop - "I Believe I Belong in the Top of the Heavyweight Division"
by Anton Tabuena on Feb 21, 2010 11:58 AM EST
in MMA News
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Mirko Cro Cop (26-7-2) talked about his victory over Anthony Perosh, on the post-fight press conference:
"I can say I was satisfied with my performance. I didn't fight my original opponent. He canceled the fight. Perosh jumped in, and I'm grateful to him for that. He showed great courage and guts. He came to fight."
"But where I'm at in the heavyweight division, I don't know. I believe I belong in the top, so we'll see in the next fights. It depends on the next fight.""I changed the way I used to train. I spent four weeks in Amsterdam at Vos Gym training with a new coach, Ivan Hippolyte, a legend of Muay Thai. And this was the first time in my career I came (to the location of the fight) two weeks before (the fight) to adapt. I always underestimate so many things... I'm a very experienced fighter, but even in Japan I came two days before. In my last fight in the States, I came two days before. They needed to wake me up before the fight. My coach needed to put ice on my back to wake me up. So I just underestimate so many things. Of course there is fuel left in me, but you need to keep training more to keep in the game."
What's next for the former PRIDE superstar? Dana White says Mirko will get back in the octagon soon, and most likely against his original opponent, Ben Rothwell:
"I think what we do is we do the fight that was supposed to happen tonight. We'll make that fight happen, and obviously Mirko didn't have a rough night tonight... Ben isn't out because he's injured or anything. He got a stomach virus, so hopefully we can make this fight quick and put this one together soon."
"Ring rust is a real thing, and he got to get in there and at least work on his timing and everything else. Hopefully, we can back-to-back make this fight with Rothwell now and make it happen pretty soon – get him back in there and keep him active and busy."
HT: mmajunkie
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I’d really like to see him avenge his Gonzaga loss. Maybe with a headkick KO of his own. =)
Mauricio Shogun Rua #1 LHW in the World. The TRUE Champion.
Mike Goldberg: "You know Joe, When Matt and his brother Mark Hughes were growing up, they would pound each other behind the barn."
Seriously?
The fight that led up to that amazing kick was EXTREMELY onesided, and not in CC’s favor. I think Gonzaga would put a nail in CC’s coffin should they rematch.
Thats why its intruiging!!! To me at least lol./
I'm gonna make a bold prediction here and say Cain "pillowhands" (as some of you have called him) lol Velasquez catches Nog right on the chin and finishes via strikes on the ground. Nog looked good against an old Randy. It didn't show me much. We’ll see.
by xFenixKnightx on Feb 18, 2010 11:09 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
by xFenixKnightx on Feb 22, 2010 9:14 AM EST up reply actions
Awww no LHK... let's get over it!
I believe he needs to fight within 2 months to keep active and keep his confidence up.
People can say what they like about not seeing a LHK, but he has spoiled us with those over the years, and obviously his opponents defend this far more now. He did what he had to do, and made a pretty big mess of Perosh.
This was a no-win for Mirko, if he lost, he was “finished” and if he won, he beat someone on one days notice. I think Rothwell is perfect for him next, it’s a step up without pushing him too far into the upper echelons of the division.
Yes he can still be relevant, but he needs time and he has still not adjusted fully to the UFC, that is still evident. People have to accept Mirko in the UFC is a different fighter to that of Pride, and there are many factors as to why (cage, class of fighters, age, injuries). It’s time to let go of what he did in the past or people are going to always be disappointed with his performances. Look at Wand, we are only just starting to see the best of him in his UFC career.
Well done to Cro Cop, and I look forward to seeing his next fight and judging him on that, and that alone.
People can say what they like about not seeing a LHK, but he has spoiled us with those over the years, and obviously his opponents defend this far more now.
No, not really. There’s no need to defend something that he doesn’t setup or throw.
Perosh had his right hand over his face for the majority of the standup. If that’s not defending for what was obvious fear of the kick, I don’t know what is.
by Rob J Nathan on Feb 21, 2010 10:48 AM EST up reply actions
So have all of his opponents in the UFC done that? I don’t recall JDS doing it. CC just doesn’t throw it anymore, it’s like he’s afraid to pull the trigger.
He doesn’t throw many kicks in general anymore, which is unfortunate considering they’re his strongest weapon. The only thing I can think is that he’s afraid of getting taken down and elbowed to shit, but there’s some point where he’s just got to say to hell with it and do it anyways. Throwing one punch at a time may work on Perosh but it won’t on mid to upper-tier HWs.
Without pain, without sacrifice, we would have nothing.
by lowellthehammer on Feb 21, 2010 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
Do you ever add anything to a conversation, or do you just disagree with everything and behave like a C-Level troll?
by coleko on Feb 21, 2010 2:55 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Mirko is one of the main reasons i got into MMA and for many others this is the case as well. He is a true legend of the sport and anytime he fights – whether to his potential or not – i will support him.
He may not be able to live up to his past accomplishments, but that doesn’t mean that they should be belittled, like you hear from John Anik, Kenny Florian, Ariel Helwani, Kevin Iole or Steve Cofield. Which is pretty sad as they are supposed to be fans of the sport.
I hope Mirko can show us some of his old form in the future, but whether he does or not i’ll always be a fan and to me he’ll be one of the most inspiring legends of the sport to date.
I don’t think Cro Cop looked all that impressive last night. He was fairly dominant, but he still looked a little tentative even.
Perosh kept him busy sprawling...
and Mirko’s demeanor in the ring was that of someone stalking his opponent… I think he was a bit cautious, but was thoroughly handling Perosh. He didn’t get a quick KO but pounded on Perosh pretty good.
I'm like PacMan fightin you silly kids... throw ya Hatton the ring, and get knocked outlike Ricky did.
lol.
Agreed
Mirko has always been the stoic type, but frankly, it almost looks like he’s not into it anymore.
Yeah d00d
Crocop should try harder.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
I don’t think CroCop was scared, he just didn’t want to absolutely murder the random Aussie guy that stepped in on short notice. CroCop showed mercy.
Keep firing Assholes!
Blackout is always right
Plus
Dude is Croatian!
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
If he beats Big Ben, I would like to see a Kongo or Sasquach rematch.
Keep firing Assholes!
Blackout is always right
Agreed
and I love the angle of Herbertson’s shot.
Walking the line between intelligence and ignorance since 1985
@deowade
Sasquach keeps CroCop’s soul in a bucket under his bed. If Crocop gets his soul back, things will be like 2006 again.
Keep firing Assholes!
Blackout is always right
I’m not sure he’ll get past Big Ben.
The one time Perosh made him retreat, he reverted to the same hand slapping backpedal that got him in trouble versus Dos Santos. Big Ben may be slow as molasses, but he does move forward. Cro Cop won’t get to play the stalking game against him that he played against Perosh. He will be moving backward the whole fight.
Unfortunately, I think Rothwell smashes CC, as would GG, AA and about any other fighter with the same initials. Even Randy Routure (I just couldn’t use Candy Couture…).
CC beat a low level LHW, who took the fight on a days notice. He didn’t put combinations together, looked slow and flat footed. I would hate to see what an explosive 260 pound legit HW would do to him.
Right now, I feel like I know less about what CC is, than I did before this fight. And I said unfortunately, because just like everyone else, I would love to see a return to the glory days for him.
Huh?
Honestly, I’m befuddled by some of these comments. Crocop picked Perosh apart, clipped him numerous times with a straight through his standing guard, stuffed all of his takedown attempts and then brutalized him when he saw red— a perfect gameplan for a fight with a relative nobody (no offense to Perosh, who I have a great deal of respect for for taking this fight) so that he could have a short turnaround— potentially against Rothwell. A bad gameplan is one in which you are unsuccessful. People bagging on Crocop for intelligently dissecting his opposition expect him to have their best interests in mind and not his own. I thought he looked good, and hope to see him look even better when he faces someone that makes him have to be.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
by Blackout612 on Feb 21, 2010 1:19 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I’m not bagging on him in any way, but a “top heavyweight” would look far more impressive against a low level LHW taking a fight on short notice. Yes he won and battered Perosh, but I saw nothing that would suggest CC is “back” or would fare well against real competition, taking nothing away from perosh for stepping in there.
CC didn’t mix it up, put together combos or do much impressive against a guy that really had no business in there.
Let's be serious
Nothing he could have done in this fight would suggest he’s back. He did the smart thing and could now have a quick turnaround in a fight that would help him make that case (against his originally scheduled opponent, Ben Rothwell). Do you honestly think that LHKing the Hippo would make people tout him as being back? No way man.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
Cro Cop can be effective as long as he is the one doing the stalking. For some reason or another, he has forgotten how to fight while on his bicycle.
If he can’t rediscover that skill, he is in trouble against Rothwell. Big Ben is not one to spend an entire fight backpedaling and circling. He will stalk Cro Cop the same way Cro Cop stalked Perosh. If Mirko can make him pay by taking out his legs and countering, he might be back. If he just backs up and slaps at his hands like he did versus Dos Santos, Big Ben will smash him.
Which is exactly why I speculated on how he would fare against true competition and stated that I know less about where he stands as a fighter after last night.
Not sure what your beef is here. I never even mention his LHK.
I agree that he was in a no win situation of sorts, but that doesn’t change where he is or what level he is performing at.
Not really
You said a lot more than that. More than I can quote. And I didn’t say you said anything about the LHK, I was being facetious/making a generalized point.
Blackout612- "Wuts teh UFC?"
Ubernoober- "It like two guy who just stand and swing for fence and try to knock each other shit out it awesome"
So other than me saying that his game was not impressive, albeit against a competition that may have hindered his performance, i.e. gameplan, finishing, the guy was moving away the whole time, you then think that the guys I mentioned would have a hard time with CC?
I don’t see CC as a top 15 or so HW and that didn’t change this weekend. Now, if he had done that to Rothwell, I might be singing a different tune. We will have to wait and see when a fight like that happens. As for now, I feel the same way I did before this last fight.
Pretty much agreed here
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Feb 21, 2010 8:19 PM EST up reply actions
It seems unlikely, given the card is so full, but here goes.
Bring CC and Ben Rothwell to Montreal at UFC 113. Put Kimbo-Mitrione on the undercard (Spike TV card) because Kimbo’s a huge free TV draw and could potentially buy some increased buys for the PPV.
I would be ridiculously happy if this happened. Just saying.
They need to test if Kimbo will sell a PPV.
If you put him on Spike, lots of people will see what they want to (kimbo) then change the channel. An hour on Spike of “buy the PPV to see Kimbo” will probably do more to sell PPV’s than, “here’s Kimbo, pay to see more.”
Me too
I would love to see Kimbo’s fight live just in case we get another Houston vs. Kimbo
"The left hand brings death, but the right one even I am afraid of."-Mariusz Pudzianowski
crocop seems to be having fun, from his pre fight demeanour
i know it’s against a can but i think mentally CC is in a better place and he realized he underestimated a lot of opponents in the past
and i think big nog might have underestimated cain last night
Once upon a time I was playing poker and talked to the next guy about my dislike for kids who wear MMA apparel acting all tough and give MMA bad rep. Sure enough Asian Dude sat down right next to me in his Affliction shirt and Tapout hat. Guy sitting next to me started asking me about the difference between MMA, UFC and Tapout. And Asian Dude proudly claimed he trains UFC. I was speechless. Then he starting telling me about his karate black belt, his wrestling pedigree and his dislike of jujitsu. He hates jujitsu because he does not like being on his back. (?!) Long story short, he then challenged me to spar with him so I invited him to my gym. He dissed my gym and never showed up. To this day I'm still waiting for him. Please contact me if you see Asian Dude.
Description:
5'7"
140 lbs
Gucci glasses
LV fanny pack
Spiky hair
Talks tough
Fought in King of the Cage Canada, Pride
Making the world a better place, one dirtbag at a time.
Mirko was lucky that Ben got sick, I hope they do make that fight again soon so Rothwell can send CC out of the UFC with another loss.
Cut the guy some slack, he’s had over 100 professional fights in his career in Boxing, K-1 and MMA. He deserves to end his career in the UFC perhaps more than any fighter currently in their roster. The guy is a legend and pretending you can just throw him away like a nobody is just insane.
Meh
The vast majority of pro athletes careers end with them being thrown away. From Willie Mays to Muhammad Ali to Emmitt Smith, pro athletes have a long history of sticking around until someone forcibly shows them the exit.
Mirko Cro Cop
He beat noboby,this guy is a statue. He doesn’t move,he has no speed,and no passion. Cro Cop is lucky Ben Rothwell,had a tummy ache. Cro Cop has shown nothing,since coming too the UFC.
by TERRENCEFROMSOUTHEAST on Feb 21, 2010 9:24 PM EST reply actions
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