Where are you guys on this? I figured someone would have mentioned it. If so, give me a link. Anyways, here you go.

http://www.nokaut.com/?id=12&solo_news=1357&

PRIDE's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix champion Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic has officially parted ways with the UFC and signed with DREAM - a new collaborative effort between FEG (K-1, HERO'S) and former DSE staff (PRIDE).

The new event is a drastic change following new creative leadership over HERO's. FEG is hoping to bring new life to their MMA show and the addition of former DSE staff is what they are looking for.

At an official press conference on Wednesday the promotion announced that "Cro Cop" had joined their ranks and would be fighting on their upcoming March 15 card. No opponent was named.

Specific details surrounding his departure from the UFC are currently unknown.

Filipovic (22-6-2) signed with the UFC following his first major championship - winning PRIDE's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix. He made his UFC debut against Eddie Sanchez in February of 2007. Following his TKO win he lost his next two fights - succumbing to a head kick KO from Gabriel Gonzaga and dropping a decision to Cheick Kongo.

Prior to his 1-2 run in the UFC, "Cro Cop" was considered the number two heavyweight in the world. The Croatian striker holds wins over former UFC heavyweight champion and PRIDE's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix finalist Josh Barnett, Olympic Judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, Aleskander Emelianenko, former PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva, Igor Vovchanchyn, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Heath Herring, Kazuyuki Fujita, Japanese superstar and MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba, and Ikuhisa Minowa.



Crocop has been a huge bust in the UFC. I think he will do better in a ring. The cage was something he couldn't seem to adjust to.

He got exposed in the octagon.

Where are you guys on this? I figured someone would have mentioned it. If so, give me a link. Anyways, here you go.

http://www.nokaut.com/?id=12&solo_news=1357&



Crocop has been a huge bust in the UFC. I think he will do better in a ring. The cage was something he couldn't seem to adjust to.

old news, didnt really care...he lost his way.

cro cop's still the man, I hope he can make a comeback

I don't believe in CC yet...IMO he has to comeback to UFC and demonstrate he can do well with some top guy. In K-1 Heros, probably, he'll fight tomato cans to get a "honorable" career's end.

I liked him a lot in Pride and K-1 until he won the Pride belt...now he's a shadow of the old CC...

CroCop needs to fight some bums to get his confidence back. Get some KO's, fight some tough guys like Aleksander and Kharitonov then call out Fedor for a rematch.

I doubt CroCop has much left but if he does, a rematch with Fedor would be a good one.

Cindy Ortiz from the Underground recently spoke to Dana White about Mirko Cro Cop's departure from the UFC.
Highlights of the conversation include:

- the split with the UFC was amicable on both sides. A clause in Cro Cop's contract allowed it to be void if he lost 2 fights in a row. Rather than renegotiate CroCop wants to leave to get some tuneup fights
- Cro Cop's losses in the UFC Octagon have effected him mentally and he would like to get some tuneup fights in smaller shows such as the Dreams show he just signed with.
- Dana White supports Cro Cop in this notion.
- Cro Cop still has the goal of obtaining the UFC heavy weight belt, Dana White believes he can still do this.

He didn't look good in the octagon so it's probably a good thing he's going back to the ring.

he's still a legend in my book so, either way, it doens't matter to me. hopefully this will bring a few more wins back to him.

Cro Cop got kicked in the head and people still blame the cage. He just didn't seem comfortable because he wasn't. People have learned that if you pressure him and don't give him room to get off, he is very beatable. If you lay back and wait for him to come to you, he will destory you, and plenty of your brain cells in the process.

Mirko Cro Cop updated his MMA-ID blog today and he talked about a myriad of topics that had people scratching their heads when they found out that he was leaving the UFC. Some felt that Cro Cop’s departure was forced upon him, but he cleared it up by saying, “I had no problem in getting released from my UFC contract” and that “Mr. White acted very professional”. He admits that he never felt completely comfortable in the cage and that he hopes to, “return one day to fight in the cage.”
Mirko is welcoming a possible rematch with the main who laid out the blueprint on how to pressure him in a fight, Fedor. “The moment our first fight finished I wanted to fight him again. He’s a brilliant fighter and it would be a honor to fight him again.” Obviously he would have to string together a couple of wins to warrant that fight.

By the way, Cro Cop did respond to Cheick Kongo’s comment about needing steroids to fight:

“I have a message for Kongo. Listen, I thought that you are a sportsman, a professional like everyone else in this sport. You were lucky enough to fight against me during the deepest crisis of my career. You probably ate a lot of vegetables and potatoes to look like that? I’ll be back in the cage and I hope you will be in the opposite corner. Then we’ll see for how long you’ll be able to talk.”

Cro Cop got kicked in the head and people still blame the cage. He just didn't seem comfortable because he wasn't. People have learned that if you pressure him and don't give him room to get off, he is very beatable. If you lay back and wait for him to come to you, he will destory you, and plenty of your brain cells in the process.

You have a point, especailly the bold (in regards to the gonzoga fight) but I think the cage did probably play a somewhat significant role in his loss to Kongo. Crocop was the aggressor in that one, but Kongo was able to evade much more effectively because of the amount of space in the cage. Though that was surely just one among many factors.

the "i forgot to use my elbow" excuse was hilarious.