History will be made in Zagreb, Croatia on March 15th, 2013. It will be the first time a combat sport event of this magnitude will be held in Croatia. It is also the first time the K1 Grandprix finals has been held outside of Japan. This event could lead to other big name companies such as the UFC to take a look at Croatia as a potential venue for an event if all goes well. The event starts at 3 p.m. ET and will be streamed online.
The K-1 World Grand Prix 2013 is only days away as a new heavyweight champion will be crowned. The biggest name in the final 8 of the tournament is Croatia’s own Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. “CroCop” returned to kickboxing last year and won all three of his return fights against Ray Sefo,Loren Javier Jorge and Randy Blake respectively. For 11 years, he spent a lengthy part of his career competing for PRIDE and the UFC in MMA and began his career in K1. Mirko also returned to MMA in December with a submission win over Shinichi Suzukawa at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye event. That gives Filipovic a 4-0 record since losing to Roy Nelson in his last UFC fight.
Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic will face Jarell Miller in the quarterfinal fight. Mirko can make history by winning his first K1 title and doing it in his own backyard. He would also be the first Croatian to hold the title since Branko Cikatic became the first ever K1 Heavyweight champ back in 1993. The Croatian legend has a real shot at winning this tournament as the other 7 combatants other then Badr Hari are on the same level at this point in their respective careers. Look for Mirko to impress in Croatia Friday night. Mirko will attempt to recapture the glory he once had when he hoisted the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix title back in 2006. The event also features a few up and coming Croatian kickboxers looking to make a name for themselves in Zagreb. Can the Croatian kickboxers go undefeated Friday night in Zagreb?
Below is the current card
K-1 World Grand Prix 2013 Tournament
Quarterfinals: Catalin Morosanu vs. Pavel Zhuravlev
Quarterfinals: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Jarrel Miller
Quarterfinals: Badr Hari vs. Zabit Samedov
Quarterfinals: Ismael Londt vs. Hesdy Gerges
Non-Tournament Fights
Miran Fabjan vs. Emil Zoraj
Dzevad Poturak vs. TBA
Toni Milanovic vs. Jason Wilnis
Mladen Brestovac vs. TBA
Agron Preteni vs. Andrei Stoica
Written by Mike “CroatianCrippler” Rozic
You can follow me on Twitter @Crocrippler or on Facebook @ Croatian Crippler
i didnt see this just heard mirko won the event but sad to hear if it was dodgy.. home fighters get an unfair advantage i think at times
@Ziva
I agree 100% but neither one of them looked good just clinched and threw knees with no intent. Its crazy but lets see his next fight now in the 2nd round up coming
I actually watched this organized afterschool fight club event…..what a fix. How is this “sport” legit. No way Cro Cop won that fight. No way. Home cooking.
http://www.mmaopinion.co.uk/2013/03/15/watch-live-coverage-of-the-k1-world-grand-prix-on-mmaopinion-co-uk/
Free Stream Of Fight Enjoy
@Kreso
there is a live stream but it costs 20bucks just type in K1grandprix 2013
@Starcevic, how much are you asking for the bridge?
@Crippler, do you know where i can watch this live?
Anonymous – yup that’s me and if u don’t like it do something about it instead of writing your tacky shit behind a anonymous name. I’ll have you worshiping Dr. Martin Luther King. Picka si!
I wish Mirko all the best, i’ts great that the finals are in Zagreb, should be some good fights.
go on then everyone get out all your insults now about me so we can have em over and done with
jesus god forbid someone show themselves lest they be torn a new one by all u cuntrashes !
@Iggy, you wish you wrote like a guy who’s ideology led to more human carnage and misery in a half-century’s time than the 500 previous years combined? The Soviet Union – “A Worker’s Paradise” – of which you could not escape. This one liner took down an Empire.
You are wearing a Groucho Marks disguise, right? For your sake, I hope so.
@bitno, nobody’s more dumb than a moron who thinks he’s smart. Yup – that is YOU.
for anyone who lives in australia we know how common doping is as there are major issues throughout sport in this country atm with that matter.. but mirko ain’t a doper im pretty sure
Anonymous – yup that’s me 😉
@bitno, you are an incurable moron. All you do is talk shit about other balkan people and use ethnic epitaphs to describe them, while calling anybody who says white countries should be for white people a “racist” and a “hater”. So I guess Croatia shouldn’t be for Croatians? You really don’t see it do you? Stupidity is no excuse for YOUR criminality.
Do you guys forget what the article is about?? It’s rather frustrating to read these comments, that have no relevance. Is the title called ” K1 Grand Prix and CroCop doping” seriously.
Great article Crippler skvaka ti cast!
I think a majority of athletes are doing some type of doping.
You guys are pretty naive. Do you think just because there are drug tests that athletes are actually clean. If you believe that I have a bridge for sale
wish i wrote like trotsky
guys.. Mirko became crap in the UFC not because he wasnt on drugs, but because he was old and slow, plain and simple.
keep in mind he nearly retired after winning pride open weight GP in 2005.. and you’re talking about fights in 2007-2012.. he should have retired (at least from mma) much, much earlier than now prolly in mid ’07.
I love Crocop but has anyone noticed how his thighs shrunk when he came to the U.S.? They were his bread and butter. His kicks could knock tree’s down. He came to the UFC and he stopped kicking??
Iggy you look like Leon Trotsky.
I believe the organized afterschool fight club operation called UFC tests for steroids. Could explain why Cro Cop looked so pedestrian in that organization. I have heard other organized afterschool fight club operations do not test.
that reminds me of the time chael sonnen said some similar crap.. altho i havent heard of ppl accusing mirko of drug using before that one is new.. and garbage.. piss off
His name is Denis Stojnic. He was ranting about how cro cop takes steroids and that he could beat cro cop in a match blah blah blah your typical Mujo
nije – which scumbag was that ?
Good stuff Crippler, I’ll be watching Friday!
I just wish that idiot from Sarajevo that was talking nonsense on cro cop was part of this grand prix…..