Mirko CroCop Filipovic will face the Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga in Krakow, Poland on April 11th, 2015 as part of the UFC Fight Night 64 event. Gonzaga holds a devastating head kick knock out of Mirko back at UFC 70 and also took his title shot in the process. This has to be the Croatians worst and most devastating defeat to date and now he has a chance to avenge that loss in Poland. A lot of MMA media figures and fans quickly writing off Filipovic in his quest for UFC glory. At 40 years old they may be right and that is not even getting into his prior appearances inside the Octagon.
The legendary Croatian Heavyweight though may have a trick up his sleeve this time around. That trick comes in the form of a 245 pound American Croatian UFC standout and top ten ranked fighter in Stipe Miocic. The Cleveland native confirmed via his Facebook account that Mirko has asked him to help him train for his up coming bout against Gonzaga.
“Yes it’s true!!! Cro Cop called me to help him train and I accepted. It is a honor to help train a legend like him.”
This is a big development for the sport of MMA especially for Croatian fans in particular. Stipe and Mirko are the top two Croatian MMA fighters of all time and now they will help each other prepare for a fight as one. The key to this match up is that Miocic recently dispatched of Gonzaga in their recent bout and can help Mirko with the fine details for his up coming fight with the Brazilian. Also it has always been a knock on CroCop that he has never had true top heavyweight training partners in his camps. That will change immediately once Stipe sets up shop with Mirko. Miocic should be able to push Mirko in sparring like he has never had prior and I’m sure Mirko will make Stipe a better fighter also with his experience and techniques. This is a win win situation for both guys and I am looking forward to it. More details to follow.
You can follow me on Facebook @ Croatian Crippler or on Twitter @ CroCrippler
@Poglavnik
Kovalev is a scary beast though lol. Same with Galovkin
@Ziva
I like it!
B-Hop kicked the shit out of Father Time for a good decade or so.
Then Ol’ F.T. got his payback in the form of Sergey Kovalev.
Why? It’s easy to pass even if taking roids.
He’s never been caught since fighting for ufc, or any organization. But yes it is a lot easier to get away with steroids in Japan, because they don’t test for it.
Father Time has never lost.
Does UFC test for steroids and performance enhancers? If so, CroMallCoo should be worried.
You can’t train youth.
By the way Igor Pokrajac has been released by the UFC and signed with Croatian MMA organization FFC
@Adrian
When Werdum was there he was only a bjj guy not the fighter he is today. Bonjasky was strictly a K1 style kickboxer. So hopefully Miocic can help him with his all around mma game and conditioning lets hope lol.
crocop did have bonjansky and werdum at same camp. Of course they are (were) not mma fighters, having them train you in standup and ground mimics mma.
I think this pairing with CC will benefit miocic more. CC fighting cans in croatia and japan is only going to make this hurt more.
Ali also called Chuvalo’s head the hardest thing he’s ever punched.
Definitely helped that he was a Hercegovac.
My old man was ringside for the Vancouver fight and my mom was with Chuvalo’s wife and a bunch of others somewhere in Vancouver waiting for it to be over.
They don’t make ’em like that anymore!
sorry above quote was from this link not Wikipedia: http://fightnetwork.com/news/10457:45th-anniversary-of-george-chuvalo-vs.-muhammed-ali/
Croats have historically always had great fighters in all fighting sports…boxing, kickboxing, MMA etc…normally they all have great chins..Crocop being the only exception…
Best Croat chin was George Jure Chuvalo…never was he knocked down in his career and when he lost by decision to Mohammed Ali…after the fight, Ali had to go to the hospital George went dancing with his wife…”After their famous first fight, Muhammad Ali went to Wellesley Hospital for an extended stay to recover from injuries to his kidneys, which were badly battered by Chuvalo’s furious fists.
That same night, after the fight ended, George and his wife Linda went out to a disco to dance the night away. Stop to ponder that image for a second, if you will. Given only three weeks to prepare to fight for the world heavyweight title against the best fighter in the world, who was in his prime and at the very top of his game, George Louis Chuvalo fought Muhammad Ali toe-to-toe in a phone booth war for fifteen savage rounds without taking a single backward step. Then, when the fight was over, George Chuvalo calmly went back to his dressing room, with the cheers of his countrymen resounding in his ears, showered, put on a suit and then danced the night away in a disco with his wife Linda. That, by definition is what is meant by the word “indomitable.” ”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Chuvalo
Toughest chin, but tough life as well…
@Mischko
Stipe will be going to Hrvatska
This looks good on paper, but it wont help Cro MallCop beat anyone of significance.
Unless Miocic is going to shooting Cro MallCop with some roids and other performance enhancers, this wont do much. By the way, someone needs to take a picture of Cro MallCop from his last fight to what he will look like at his next organized afterschool backyard fight club match.
Gonzaga is still the favorite in this fight. We might see Cro Cop get KO’d with a kick to the head just like last time. Gonzaga has dropped in form due to age, but Cro Cop has dropped FAR worse. Don’t let these recent wins against washed up ‘B’ opponents fool you. Cro Cop is DONE.
There is nothing Mirko can offer Stipe. Stipe is a better striker and wrestler. The only things that MAYBE Cro Cop can teach Stipe is how to use his left leg. But Stipe isn’t a kickboxer, so I doubt he’d ever use it. It’s not his style. He’s a golden gloves boxer and a champion wrestler too. A much more well rounded MMA fighter than Cro Cop ever was.
Mirko and Stipe can absolutely learn from each other. Other than being standup fighters, their styles are vastly different. They’ll compliment each other nicely in training though. Mirko definately has a chance against Gonzaga but there’s no way he’s moving up in the ufc. Too f’n old. Watched his last few fights and didn’t see anything impressive whatsoever, against no-names. It’s all interesting nonetheless.
Crippler where are they going to train? Croatia or Cleveland?
@Poglavnik
The classic Nikolai Volkov
brozovic to inter
Hands down, it’s Josip Peruzovic
Might as well throw in Scary Jerry Vrbanovic in the mix
Thanks for throwing me in there 👍 and if anyone thinks I don’t speak fluent Croatian oni ne znaju šta govori 😎
And neither of them can speak the language. Some hrvati they are.
i didn’t know carroll is croat as well… how fucked up the two great minds of the superbowl are croats… damn we really do have some good genes…
no not perosh look up oe of his partners Elvis Sinosic
What about Anthony Perosh????
He had 4 wins in a row UFC, up and coming Croatian champion
^ that’s like saying Saban is the best croatian coach
Pat Miletich?
Branko did nothing in MMA other than get disqualified for elbowing people in the back of the head. But K-1 yeah.. fuck he was possessed and a real nasty brutal cunt haha omg
oh god.. give it up mirko
@anonymous
Cikatic in kickboxing you might have a case but MMA as I stated no chance in hell lol.
“Stipe and Mirko are the top two Croatian MMA fighters of all time”
Not true. Branko Cikatic was MUCH better than Cro Cop ever was.
disaster yes but pulled of a great victory i hope we get the Polish in the Quarters, and i think this is great for both fighter they have nothing to lose training with each other only to gain.
Great articles Mike keep em’ coming brother
Anyone watching the handball match. Man, what a disaster this first half has been.
Won’t help Cro MallCop.