jakkups
12-18-2008, 10:29 AM
"Cro Cop" says he's fighting Hong Man Choi on New Year's Eve (http://mmajunkie.com/news/13506/cro-cop-says-hes-fighting-hong-man-choi-on-new-years-eve.mma)
DREAM and UFC veteran Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) says he will fight Hong Man Choi (1-1) at the Dec. 31 FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
In an entry on his official blog, Filipovic claims bout agreements have been signed and that "the fight is on."
However, the fight, which will be conducted under MMA rules (on a fight card that also features K-1 kickboxing bouts), has not been officially announced by DREAM.
"I must say I'm happy with this opportunity to fight again in this year," Filipovic wrote. "This wasn't the best year for me, and I'm hoping that I'll end it in a good spirit."
Filipovic most recently fought Alistair Overeem (28-11) at DREAM.6 in September. He struggled in the bout but was saved by a no-contest after being struck with a fight-ending knee to the groin.
Filipovic had been rumored to be fighting Overeem at the New Year's Eve event. Instead, he'll take on Choi, a 7-foot-2, 330-pound K-1 kickboxer who hasn't fought in MMA since last year's New Year's Eve armbar loss to Fedor Emelianenko.
"When you fight [an] opponent of that size, you just have to take the fight very seriously," Filipovic wrote. "Under MMA rules, he's not experienced, but he's big and strong, and that makes him dangerous."
Filipovic, one of the world's most recognizable fighters, left the UFC earlier this year after back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo. He's fought just twice since that February dismissal. In addition to the no-contest with Overeem, he scored a first round TKO of Tatsuya Mizuno (5-4) at DREAM.1 in March.
DREAM and UFC veteran Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (23-6-2) says he will fight Hong Man Choi (1-1) at the Dec. 31 FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008 event at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
In an entry on his official blog, Filipovic claims bout agreements have been signed and that "the fight is on."
However, the fight, which will be conducted under MMA rules (on a fight card that also features K-1 kickboxing bouts), has not been officially announced by DREAM.
"I must say I'm happy with this opportunity to fight again in this year," Filipovic wrote. "This wasn't the best year for me, and I'm hoping that I'll end it in a good spirit."
Filipovic most recently fought Alistair Overeem (28-11) at DREAM.6 in September. He struggled in the bout but was saved by a no-contest after being struck with a fight-ending knee to the groin.
Filipovic had been rumored to be fighting Overeem at the New Year's Eve event. Instead, he'll take on Choi, a 7-foot-2, 330-pound K-1 kickboxer who hasn't fought in MMA since last year's New Year's Eve armbar loss to Fedor Emelianenko.
"When you fight [an] opponent of that size, you just have to take the fight very seriously," Filipovic wrote. "Under MMA rules, he's not experienced, but he's big and strong, and that makes him dangerous."
Filipovic, one of the world's most recognizable fighters, left the UFC earlier this year after back-to-back losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo. He's fought just twice since that February dismissal. In addition to the no-contest with Overeem, he scored a first round TKO of Tatsuya Mizuno (5-4) at DREAM.1 in March.