Lackluster UFC 103 loss for "Cro Cop" could prove Filipovic's last in organization (http://mmajunkie.com/news/16253/lackluster-ufc-103-loss-for-cro-cop-could-be-filipovics-last-in-organization.mma)

DALLAS – While Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's (25-7-2 MMA, 2-3 UFC) career-long reputation in combat sports as a feared striker will likely always be remembered, the Croatian undoubtedly wishes his time in the UFC be quickly forgotten.

Now after another lackluster performance in the octagon in the co-feature of Saturday night's UFC 103 event, it appears Filipovic's troubled UFC run may now be coming to an end.

"I'm not saying that I've ever been at the level of a Mirko 'Cro Cop' or any of these guys, but I used to fight," UFC president Dana White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "You get to a certain age where you remember what you used to be able to do, and you can see all the openings. You just can't pull the trigger. I think that's where he's at."

After clearly losing the first two rounds of his contest with Brazilian prospect Junior Dos Santos (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Filipovic verbally submitted in the final frame. White said Filipovic's deteriorating skills undoubtedly contributed to the one-sided result, but he also praised Dos Santos for another solid performance in the cage.

"Junior Dos Santos is a young, hungry, explosive, nasty heavyweight, and Mirko 'Cro Cop' went three hard rounds with him," White said. "Listen, we all get older. I could see it.

"It happens to the best of us. It takes nothing away from who he is or what he's accomplished. We just all get old."

Just 35 years old, Filipovic certainly doesn't qualify as one of the oldest fighters in the promotion. But at just 3-3 in his past six contests, Filipovic's recent wins have come against opponents with a combined career record of 14-12.

Hardly top-level stuff, and White admitted Filipovic may soon be forced to finish his fighting days against sub-par competition in Japan rather than fighting the world's best heavyweights in the UFC.

"I don't know; I've got to talk to him," White said. "I'm pretty sure that he would say that to me right now, anyway. Mirko and I have always had a pretty good relationship. We'll see what happens."

As for Dos Santos, who is now 3-0 in the UFC, White says the win certainly vaults him to the top of the division.

"Dos Santos is no joke," White said. "He hits hard, and he's been knocking people out.

"Tonight was a big night for him that definitely put him on the map now. He's in the mix."

This was to be expected to be honest.

If he wouldn't have poked Al-Turk in the eye, he could have lost that one, too, lol.

All that bull****. Flying to Croatia and offering him a deal he supposedly couldn't refuse and he comes back looking like ****....

Sad

Sad for Cro Cop, but i always knew he was a quitter. Great fighter but quitter, he quit against Kongo, against Fedor and against Overeem. He had the talent but not the mind of a true champ. Even in his prime, when the chips were down he could never steal the victory from the jaws of defeat.

Cro Cop is now a shot fighter, can't use his hands, can't use his right leg and doesn't even throw low kicks. Let alone combos.
He's finished as a top figher.

Thanks Cro Cop for all the great knockouts and the great fighter. Now retire and don't embarass yourself and your country.

Well what a surprise,Cro flop, flops once again.What can I say,The guy just ain't a fighter,He can dish it out but can't take it.

He had no problem in poking another guy in the eye but when he got hit in the eye he quit like a coward.Didn't even have the heart to go the distance after his pitiful display.

I already predicted he would lose

Cro flop is getting knocked the f*ck out on september 19th,I've followed his career for years,Ever since k-1 and I know what he's like,He is very arrogant and overestimates his own abilities and underestimates his opponents abilities

The blue print has already been shown on how to beat Cro flop and Dos Santos has the intimidation and power to execute it.


Cro flop will not win and I guarantee you this,I am willing to take all bets,All points whatever,Cro flop will not win


Any shameless cro flop fans out there care to bet?


The guy is a disgrace and a joke,He is a glass jawed flop who failed.

Dos Santos isn't anything special,He would get crushed by Lesnar and get molested by a Cain Velasquez

The guy is a disgrace and a joke,He is a glass jawed flop who failed.

Again with the exaggeration. Calm down, drink some herbal tea. He's a legend who should retire some time ago, but didn't, that's what always happens. That doesn't discredit his whole career or make him a *****.

On another note, isn't Dos Santos too small for the other heavyweights ?

On another note, isn't Dos Santos too small for the other heavyweights ?

he's about 245 or so. JDS is a pretty big guy, not on scale with the Lesnar/Carwin/Duffee's of the division, but he should be able to hold his own at HW size wise

Werdum was over 250 pounds when he fought Junior and we saw wat happened there, Cigano would crush Cain, Kongo chipped up Cain in the stand up and unlike Kongo Dos Santos trains BJJ with the Nog Boyz

Crocop fought like **** that fight. He doesn't know how to fight going backwards and has looked bad going forward too... He never had any fire or desire to win is his problem. Only time he showed any urgency was somewhere in the second round where he threw 3 or 4 straight rights. Otherwise it was him backing up or ducking and pushing Junior away.

Anyone else think that the groin kick wasn't accidental and he did it b/c things weren't going his way and he was getting frustrated?

He needs a new camp and new coach to change his style up a bit. He is like Chuck Liddel, too one dimensional in his striking.

Perhaps he should go train at Xtreme Couture and learn some world class striking from Shawn Tompkins :rolleyes:



Again with the exaggeration. Calm down, drink some herbal tea. He's a legend who should retire some time ago, but didn't, that's what always happens.

That's debatable,He never won anything of significence in k-1,His grand prix win in Pride was a joke and despite being tipped to wreck havoc among the heavyweight division,He flopped and lost to second tier heavyweights.

While he’s always been the type of fighter that didn’t have a warriors heart, the longer the fight takes, the more chances he had of losing, his impact on MMA especially as a former K-1 fighter was enormous.

He arrived at a time when it looked like fighters from a pure striking background would never be able to compete at the highest level. He proved that a striker could design a gameplan around avoiding takedowns and forcing a standup fight. It cannot be understated how significant this step forward was for MMA. He didnt just "sprawl and brawl", he "sprawled and striked".

Hopefully, his good stuff will be remembered, everything up until the OWGP win, not what happened after that.

Perhaps he should go train at Xtreme Couture and learn some world class striking from Shawn Tompkins :rolleyes:




You're an ******* but this one was funny. LMAO