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Revision as of 07:15, 7 July 2013

Mirko Filipović
BornMirko Filipović
(1974-09-10) September 10, 1974 (age 50)
Vinkovci, SFR Yugoslavia
Other namesCro Cop
Tiger
NationalityCroatian
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight228 lb (103 kg; 16 st 4 lb)
DivisionHeavyweight
Reach73 in (185 cm)
StyleKickboxing
StanceSouthpaw
Fighting out ofZagreb, Croatia
TeamCro Cop Squad Gym[1]
Tigar Gym
Vos Gym
TrainerIvan Hippolyte
Rank  Black belt in Taekwondo
Years active1996–2003, 2012–present (Kickboxing)
2001–present (MMA)
Kickboxing record
Total29
Wins22
By knockout12
Losses7
By knockout4
Mixed martial arts record
Total41
Wins28
By knockout20
By submission5
By decision3
Losses10
By knockout5
By submission2
By decision3
Draws2
No contests1
Amateur boxing record
Total45
Wins40
By knockout31
Losses5
Other information
OccupationLaw enforcement officer, politician
SpouseKlaudija
Websitehttp://www.mirko-crocop.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Last updated on: March 15, 2013
Mirko Cro Cop
Medal record
Representing  Croatia
Men’s Boxing
World Military Championships
Silver medal – second place 1998 Warendorf +91 kg
Mediterranean Games
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Bari +91 kg

Mirko Filipović (Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [mîrkɔ fǐːlipɔːʋitɕ]; (born September 10, 1974) is a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, retired boxer, politician, and law enforcement officer. Filipović was a member of the Croatian Parliament from 2003 through 2007 on a list of Social Democratic Party of Croatia. His nickname, Cro Cop, short for "Croatian Cop", comes from his membership in the Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit, Croatia's elite Police Special Forces tactical unit. He is the current K-1 World Champion. As of April 2013, Mirko Filipović is ranked the #7 heavyweight in the world by LiverKick.com.[2]

Filipović has been successful in both K-1 and Pride Fighting Championships. On September 10, 2006, he became the 2006 Pride World Grand Prix Open-Weight Champion, and in 2007 entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). On March 16, 2013 he won the K-1 World Grand Prix becoming the K-1 World Champion. Filipović owed his mixed martial arts success to a combination of elite-level kickboxing and near-impregnable takedown defense, making him one of the most dangerous strikers in history and a prototype for the modern sprawl and brawler. Filipović's signature move was his lightning quick left head-kick, once famously described as "right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery."[3] His legacy remains as a true legend in mixed martial arts, as well as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport.[4][5][6][7] Mirko was also a successful amateur boxer. Mirko medalled numerous times in international competition, and was also a member of Croatia's world team when he competed at the 1997 Amateur Boxing World Championships.

Professional career

A martial arts enthusiast since his youth, Filipović started his professional career in 1996 as a kickboxer, following in the footsteps of his compatriot Branko Cikatić. Before turning pro Filipović had accumulated an amateur boxing record of 40–5 (31 KO's).[8] At the time, Filipović was working as a commando in the Croatian police anti-terrorist unit Alpha (stationed in Lučko near Zagreb), which earned him his nickname "Cro Cop". He also fought several times early in his career under the nickname "Tigar" (Croatian for "tiger").[9] His entrance theme song is The Wild Boys by Duran Duran.

K-1

In 1996, at the age of 22, Filipović entered the K-1 World Grand Prix elimination tournament. After defeating the previous year's finalist, Jérôme Le Banner, Filipović was stopped in the next round by Ernesto Hoost. He returned to K-1 three years later in 1999, knocking out British fighter Ricky "Tank" Nicholson, but subsequently dropped a decision against Swiss fighter, Xhavit Bajrami. Despite this, Filipović was given a wildcard into the world tournament where he shocked the kickboxing world by defeating highly regarded K-1 fighter Mike Bernardo. Filipović went on to knock out Japanese star Musashi and Australian karate fighter Sam Greco on the same night before being stopped again by Hoost. It was later revealed that Filipović actually entered the ring with a broken rib, a result of his previous fights. Filipovic also beat Mr. K1 Peter Aerts.

Filipović continued to have successes in K-1, winning a number of matches against such top ranked opponents as Peter Aerts, Mark Hunt and Remy Bonjasky. He was the first fighter to beat then-undefeated giant, "The Beast" Bob Sapp in 86 seconds, breaking Sapp's zygomatic bone with a left punch. In 2000 he beat karate fighter Glaube Feitosa and boxer Hiromi Amada to reach the finals of the Nagoya Grand Prix, losing by first-round TKO to Mike Bernardo in a rematch. Once again, previously acquired injuries were the major factors in this loss. Filipović actually entered the ring limping on one leg due to injuries sustained in previous bouts. Bernardo repeatedly attacked Filipović's damaged leg and rendered him unable to continue due to injuries. Filipović, however, gained tremendous respect among Japanese fight enthusiasts for his courage and heart. As a finalist he progressed to the final eight for the 2000 Grand Prix, but once again dropped a decision to his nemesis Hoost.

In 2001 he was unexpectedly defeated by Canadian fighter Michael McDonald in the first round. Shortly thereafter, he began a transition to Pride, a Japanese mixed martial arts organization. He fought four more K-1 matches, however, winning each, most notably against Mark Hunt, Remy Bonjasky and Bob Sapp.

Pride FC

In 2001, Filipović began his switch to fighting in Pride, citing personal challenge as well as dissatisfaction with K-1 salaries. A year later, he also left his job at the anti-terrorist unit in order to focus fully on his martial arts career.[10] Since then, Filipović maintained a comparably low kickboxing profile, but nevertheless scored some impressive K-1 victories, most notably against Mark Hunt in March 2002 (unanimous decision), Remy Bonjasky in July 2002 (second round TKO) and Bob Sapp in April 2003 (first round KO).

Following a TKO win over Kazuyuki Fujita in his MMA debut, Filipović made his Pride debut at Pride 17 against Nobuhiko Takada. The bout featured a special rule stating if it went to a decision it would be ruled a draw. Neither fighter was able to stop the other but had the fight been scored, Filipović would've won the decision.

Filipović's next Pride fight was against then-middleweight (205 lb) champion Wanderlei Silva. This bout featured the same rules as the Takada fight and also ended in a draw (although if the fight had been scored again, Wanderlei Silva would've won the decision). On August 28, 2002 Filipović faced Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride Shockwave. Filipović won after fracturing Sakuraba's orbital bone.

His next fight was a rematch with Fujita at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2002 event where he picked up his fourth victory, this time by decision.

Filipović returned to Pride to face heavyweight contender Heath Herring at Pride 26 (June 8, 2003). Filipović defeated Herring decisively, scoring a TKO victory with a left roundhouse body kick to Herring's liver at 3:17 into the fight. His next fight was against Ukrainian striker Igor Vovchanchyn at Pride Total Elimination 2003. Following the powerful kicks of the Herring fight, this fight continued to showcase Filipović's kicking power as he knocked out Vovchanchyn with a head kick 1:29 into the fight. Filipović then defeated Mexican professional wrestler Dos Caras Jr. at Pride Bushido 1, also with a head kick knockout, in 46 seconds.

Filipović's string of Pride wins secured him a chance to fight for the Interim Pride Heavyweight Championship against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on November 9, 2003. Filipović's stand-up fighting proved effective in the first round, allowing him to control the fight from his feet while defending every takedown attempt Nogueira made, and landing a head-kick at the end of the round. Nogueira, however, prevailed in the second round after finally getting a successful takedown, forcing Filipović to submit to an armbar after being mounted. Filipović admitted to Bas Rutten in a later interview that he was overconfident against Nogueira.

In 2004 Filipović put his K-1 career on hold and recruited Fabricio Werdum (a former world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu) as his coach, working on improving his ground fighting skills. He went on to win his next two bouts by KO and TKO at a combined time of only 3:49, against Yoshihisa Yamamoto and 280 lb. Ron Waterman.

Filipović then participated in Pride Total Elimination 2004. In an upset, Filipović was knocked out in the first round by Kevin Randleman. Filipović later submitted Randleman in a rematch at the end of 2004.

Filipović repeatedly requested Pride to let him challenge the heavyweight champion, Fedor Emelianenko. After winning seven straight matches since his loss to Randleman, including a head-kick knockout victory against Alexander Emelianenko (brother of the champion) and wins over Josh Barnett, Mark Coleman and Ibragim Magomedov, Filipović received a chance to fight Fedor Emelianenko for the Pride Heavyweight Championship.

The match between Emelianenko and Mirko Filipović finally took place at PRIDE Final Conflict 2005.[11][12] In the first round, Filipović stunned and broke Emelianenko's nose with two stiff jabs. He discolored Fedor's midsection with powerful body kicks. Emelianenko was then able to get the fight to the ground and land several body shots, which took a lot of gas out of Filipović. As the fight progressed, Emelianenko became more and more dominant, winning most of the stand up exchanges and scoring several takedowns. After 20 minutes, Emelianenko was awarded a unanimous decision victory.[13][14][15]

On October 23, 2005, less than two months after the loss to Emelianenko, Filipović stepped back into the ring to rematch open-weight King of Pancrase Josh Barnett. After three rounds Filipović received a unanimous judges' decision victory.

On December 31, 2005, Filipović lost his match against Mark Hunt via split decision. Hunt was the more aggressive fighter, an important criterion in Pride judging. Unusually, Filipović wore shoes for this fight, something that had no precedent. This had led to speculation and statements from his camp about Filipović having sustained injuries to his feet before the fight. [citation needed] Filipović himself has never confirmed these speculations. Filipović also displayed considerable problems with his cardio during his fights with Emelianenko, Barnett and Hunt leading to the speculation that he was much too active and a resting period from the ring would work to his advantage. [citation needed]

2006 Pride World Grand Prix Open-Weight Champion

Filipović re-entered the Pride ring, competing in Pride 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix on May 5, 2006. It was during this tournament that he came up with the quote, "Right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery". His first match at the Pride Total Elimination Absolute event was against Ikuhisa Minowa, the lighter but highly acclaimed professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Filipović won by TKO 1:10 into the fight. On July 1, 2006 at Pride Critical Countdown Absolute, Filipović defeated 1992 Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida by technical knockout (leg kicks) in the first round to move on to the semi-finals.

On September 10, 2006, Filipović won the Open-Weight Grand Prix at Pride Final Conflict Absolute. In the semi-finals, Filipović knocked out then-Pride Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva with his trademark left high kick. In the final match, Filipović won a third victory over Josh Barnett, who submitted after sustaining an eye injury from an eye poke. With these two victories, Filipović became the Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion, the first widely recognized championship belt he has ever won. In a post-fight interview with Frank Trigg, Filipović stated if he had not won the tournament, it would have been his last night fighting. The night was also his birthday, and Filipović dedicated winning the tournament to his deceased father.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After his victory at the Open-Weight Grand Prix, a rematch between Filipović and Fedor Emelianenko failed to materialize and on December 12, 2006 Filipović pulled out of the New Year's Eve event, citing both a foot injury and Emelianenko's commitment to meet Mark Hunt at the card in question. Through his official website, Filipović revealed "I still can't kick like I want to. It's the best that we give more time to this injury to heal. I want to be in perfect shape for my next fights."[16] Also in December 2006, rumors began to surface about Filipović entertaining offers from other mixed martial arts organizations; the Ultimate Fighting Championship was one of the promotions that Filipović confirmed came forward with an offer.[17] Rumors continued to circulate about Filipović's future with the Pride FC organization and soon media websites were reporting that Filipović had chosen the UFC for his future.[18]

UFC president Dana White and the UFC officially announced on December 30, 2006 during the post-UFC 66 press conference, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, that Filipović had signed a two-year, six-fight deal with the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts promotion. It was also announced that Filipović would make his UFC debut on February 3, 2007 at UFC 67 in Las Vegas against Eddie Sanchez, promoting him under the name Mirko "Cro Cop" alternatively with and without quotation marks. Filipović defeated Sanchez in the first round via TKO. Filipović entered the octagon under the Pride FC theme.

On April 21, 2007, Filipović faced Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70 in Manchester, England. At 4:51 of round one, Gonzaga won with a head kick knockout. Filipović has stated since that the elbows on the ground confused and damaged him enough that he was disoriented after the stand up, contributing to the subsequent knock-out. During the fall to the canvas, Filipović suffered a minor injury to his ankle and a ligament was detached in his knee.[19]

Filipović's next fight was on September 8, 2007 at UFC 75 against French kickboxer Cheick Kongo where he lost by unanimous decision. In a post-fight interview upon his return home, Filipović stated that he cracked a rib during the fight and that the three illegal knees to the groin he received also cost him some strength. Filipović trained with Remy Bonjasky and Gilbert Yvel, and 2003 Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion grappler Dean Lister for this fight. Lister joined Filipović at his home town for a month to train for this upcoming bout.[20] Filipović's coach was Vos Gym's main trainer and muay thai practitioner Ivan "Hydro" Hippolyte. According to his home page,[21] Marijan Žižanović is the new head coach again, since October 1, 2007. Žižanović was his K-1 trainer.

In September 2007, Filipović underwent nose surgery for a deviated septum.

Dream

On February 12, 2008, Filipović announced a visit to Japan on his blog.[22] With the foundation of the new MMA event, 'Dream', co-established by FEG running K-1 Hero's and the former Yarennoka! organizing committee members which had managed Pride FC, Filipović officiates ending his career in UFC and the participation into the new event.[23]

After much speculation and many possible rumoured opponents, (including Yoshihiro Nakao and Dong Sik Yoon), Fight Entertainment Group confirmed on March 11, 2008 that Filipović would face Tatsuya Mizuno at Dream 1 on March 15, 2008 at Saitama Arena, in Japan.[24]

When asked about the Croatian's current contract status with the UFC and whether it would interfere with his participation in 'Dream' events, Dream producer and front man Keiichi Sasahara said, "Though I can't share specific details about his contract, there will not be any foreseeable problems arising."[25]

Filipović was vague in answering the question himself, qualifying his response by mentioning his intent to return to the UFC sometime in the future.

"Well, as you all know, I had a bad period in my last two fights, which I'd lost in the UFC," Filipović said. "I don't want anyone to think that I'm running away from the UFC, but I was thinking a lot about how to continue with my career, and I think in this moment, I think Dream is the right place for me."[25]

"Another thing is that I never liked fighting in the cage. I always liked to fight in the ring. The second thing is that I liked fighting in Japan. Japan is like my second home—I feel like I'm home in Japan. All those reasons [have brought me] here, and I'm very happy that I'm going to fight here in Japan. But of course, one day, I don't know when, but definitely I'll be back in the UFC to show that it was just a bad period for me. Now I'm fully recovered, physically and mentally, most important mentally."[25]

On March 15, 2008 he defeated Tatsuya Mizuno by TKO in the 1st round at Dream 1.

His next fight was scheduled to be against Jerome Le Banner at Dream 5, after being rescheduled once due to Filipović sustaining a minor leg injury. However, it was later announced by Filipović himself on his webpage that he would be unable to fight due to his elbow injury worsening and needing surgery. Filipović underwent successful arthroscopic elbow repair in early July.

Filipović's next fight was against Alistair Overeem at Dream 6 on September 23, 2008.[26] After almost half of the first round saw Overeem takedown Filipović twice and the two fighters exchanging stand-up and ground strikes (with Filipović sustaining a cut) the bout was stopped and declared a no contest due to Overeem landing multiple knees to the groin of Filipović. Filipović stated after the match that he had wanted to continue to fight, as evident by his remaining in the ring, but the ringside doctor would not allow him to continue. Filipović's manager stated that the injury was not serious and that a rematch as soon as possible was sought. Filipović said that he was planning for a long fight and a KO towards the end. He expressed frustration and quoted "I'm angry it ended this way, it seemed as if he was the dominant one, however I wasn't in trouble for a second and was waiting for my opportunities. I prepared very well because I thought the match could last a while. I thought I would knock him down in the end."[27][28] However, in the recording of the fight, Filipović's corner relayed to the announcers that his right testicle had been lodged inside of his body and that he could not continue. He later limped out of the arena.

Filipović defeated the 30 cm taller and 50 kg heavier opponent from Korea, Choi Hong-man, on December 31 at FieLDS Dynamite!! 2008. The winning leg kick was to the back side of his opponent's left knee and resulted in a TKO win for Filipović. After the fight, Filipović announced that he would have a medical procedure carried out on his injured knee.

Return to the UFC

Mirko Filipović defeated Pat Barry by submission due to a rear naked choke at UFC 115 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

On May 18 Filipović issued a press release on his official website and his MMAid account stating his scheduled return to the UFC. His first match upon returning was at UFC 99 in Germany against Mostapha Al-turk. During the bout, Filipović knocked down Al-Turk with punches within the first round, then allowed him to stand. The fight ended when Filipović finished Al-turk with a flurry of punches.

After the one-fight agreement with the UFC, it was announced Filipović was scheduled to return to Dream to face Siala "Mighty Mo" Siliga on July 20 at Dream.10.[29] On July 3, 2009 however, it was reported that he might have re-signed with the UFC after getting an offer "he couldn't refuse" by UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta who personally flew to Filipović's residence in Zagreb.[30] It was later confirmed at the UFC Fan Expo by Fertitta that Filipović had indeed signed a three fight contract with the UFC.[31]

Filipović fought up and coming striker Junior dos Santos at UFC 103. During the third round, Filipović sustained an uppercut to his left eye that caused him to verbally submit by waving his hand at the referee and motioning that there was a problem with his eye. The fight was officially stopped due to submission, giving Dos Santos the win. After the fight, Filipović showed signs of frustration, stating, "I don't feel the hunger anymore. I started playing it safe, I'm not ready to take risks."[32] A few days later, Filipović seemed more upbeat, and looked to continue his career, saying fighting is the only life he knows, and at least wants to honor the last two fights on his UFC contract. He was quoted as saying, "I did a few things wrong in training and in preparation for the Dos Santos fight, and will find the motivation and strength needed to come back".

Since then, Filipović has hired legendary former Muay Thai champion Ivan Hippolyte and revamped his whole training team. The source went on to say "After the defeat by Dos Santos, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic has announced drastic changes in the training methods and composition of Team CroCop. Marjan Zizanovic is no longer his boxing coach. Instead, Cro Cop is now working with the Dutch Muay Thai legend Ivan Hippolyte, who these days resides in Zagreb. Filipović will combine training at his own facility with visits to the Netherlands where he can train with top-notch sparring partners. Igor Pokrajac, Cro Cop’s long-time friend and sparring partner, is also no longer in Filipović's team. Pokrajac continues his career with the UFC, but is no longer training with Filipović although the pair remain on good terms."

Filipović was scheduled to face Ben Rothwell on February 21, 2010 at UFC 110.[33] Just days before the fight, Rothwell was forced to withdraw from the event because of an illness.[34] Australian fighter Anthony Perosh stepped in to replace Rothwell.[35]

During the fight, Filipović dominated for two rounds before opening a cut on Perosh's forehead which forced a doctor stoppage before the third round and awarded the TKO win to Filipović. Filipović fought despite receiving a cut in training that required stitches.[36]

Filipović next fought against fellow former Kickboxer Pat Barry at UFC 115 in Vancouver, Canada. After being knocked down twice to the canvas in the first round by Barry's strikes, he won the second round after utilizing his ground game. The third round saw Filipović open up with a head kick followed by an axe kick to Barry's head. He ended the fight with a strong flurry, dropping Barry against the cage where he continued his assault with numerous punches to the face. He then took his back and defeated Barry by rear naked choke, earning him Submission of the Night honors which Mirko had joked to Dana White and the crowd earlier that he deserved it. Prior to the Barry fight, Filipović was detained by Canadian officials, who threatened to deport him. He revealed that the Canadian officials had asked for details of his activities in the Lučko ATJ (anti-terrorist unit) that he had joined a few years after the Croatian War of Independence. Filipović was held for a total of six hours, across two days.[37]

Filipović faced former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir on September 25, 2010 at UFC 119, replacing an injured Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.[38] There was a brief scare the weekend before the fight when Cro Cop suffered an eye injury in Croatia during his final day of training, but upon arrival in the U.S., was medically cleared to compete.[39] It was a largely uneventful fight in which both fighters stayed on their feet. Neither fighter managed to deliver any significant damage to the other until Filipović was defeated by Mir at 4:02 of the third round by KO due to a knee strike to the head. In a later interview for a Croatian television station Cro Cop stated that he suffered a disc herniation three weeks before the fight with Mir. He decided not to inform the UFC about this injury because he believed it would seem as if he was trying to pull out of the fight.[40]

Filipović was defeated by Ultimate Fighter alumnus Brendan Schaub on March 19, 2011 at UFC 128: Shogun vs. Jones by way of KO at 3:44 of the third round. Shortly after the knockout loss to Schaub, Dana White stated that Filipović is most likely retiring. Since this time, Dana White has appeared to have had a change of heart. In a recent interview White said "This guy wants to fight again, and I owe him another fight." White also added "Do I think he should have retired? Yeah," White said. "But I don't think he's in one of these situations like Chuck Liddell, who needed to retire right then. He's a man, a grown man, and if he wants to continue to fight, that's his right." [41]

In his last fight with the UFC, Filipović was defeated by Roy Nelson at UFC 137 by TKO due to punches in round 3. Even though he looked to be in good physical condition for the fight, he still did not look like the same fighter from his days in PRIDE FC. In an interview to a Croatian television station Filipović revealed that he suffered an arm injury in training 10 days before the fight. Filipović said the injury came as a result of him sparring with Pat Barry and that the doctors told him he had to go into surgery because a tendon had separated from a bone, but he refused. Filipović decided to go through with the fight without informing the UFC officials about his injury.[40]

Retirement from MMA and return to K-1

After the loss to Roy Nelson, Filipović stated: "I was treated like a king from the beginning. It's in my best interest that this is my farewell fight, thanks everybody."

However, he then revealed in an interview that he has not completely retired, but that his days with the UFC, and possibly MMA, are now finished. He announced that he would return to kickboxing to fight at Cro Cop Final Fight 2012 at the Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia on March 10, 2012.[42] Mirko defeated Ray Sefo by unanimous decision.[43]

Filipović fought on May 27, 2012 at K-1 World MAX 2012 World Championship Tournament Final 16 in Madrid, Spain against Loren Javier Jorge, where he won by knockout in the second round with a left uppercut.[44][45]

He faced Randy Blake at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 in Tokyo Final 16 on October 14, 2012.[46][47] Despite being sucker punched to the canvas by Blake in round three, Cro Cop was able to outfight the American en route to a majority decision win.[48]

He was scheduled to fight at Cro Cop Final Fight 2013 on March 15, 2013 in Zagreb,[49] and expressed his desire to face Gökhan Saki.[50] The event was then merged with the K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 Final, and was the first K-1 World Grand Prix held outside of Japan. He faced American boxer Jarrell Miller in the quarter-finals where the panel of judges awarded "Cro Cop" a unanimous decision win due to Cro Cop landing more significant strikes. He advanced to the semi-finals where he outpointed Pavel Zhuravlev to another unanimous decision. In the final, he fought Ismael Londt and floored the Suriname fighter with his patented left high kick in round two en route to yet another unanimous decision victory to win the tournament, thirteen years after he had finished as runner-up in 1999.[51][52][53][54]

Return to MMA

On August 8, 2012 the news came that Filipović had said that he would like to return to MMA,[55] and on December 31, 2012 he made his comeback against former sumo wrestler and MMA newcomer Shinichi Suzukawa at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. He won the fight by submission due to an armbar at 1:18 of the first round.

CroCop is expected to go in a rematch with Alexander Emelianenko in October or November in Russia [56] and then he is expected to fight Satoshi Ishii in Japan on December 31, 2013.[57]

Personal life

Filipović was born in the village of Privlaka in Vinkovci, Croatia, the son of Žarko and Ana Filipović.[58] Filipović and his wife Klaudija have a son named Ivan.[59] The couple had their second child, a son named Filip on November 22, 2010.[60] On his UFC profile, Filipović lists his father as his hero.[61] Filipović developed a friendship with Pat Barry following their fight at UFC 115. Barry frequently trains with Filipović at his training center in Zagreb.

Film career

Filipović starred in the 2005 action film Ultimate Force as Axon Rey. There were plans for the sequel of the film, titled Ultimate Force II: S.I.N. Retribution, but the project was canceled before the production started. Mirko Filipović was set to star as Axon Rey once again.

Championships and accomplishments

Records

Kickboxing

  • International Kick-Boxing Federation
    • IKBF World Heavyweight Full Contact Champion

Mixed martial arts

  • On The Mat
    • 2006 MMA Fighter of the Year[65]

Amateur boxing

  • Czech Amateur Boxing Association
    • 1998 Usti Grand Prix Bronze Medalist[71]
  • International Committee for the Mediterranean Games
    • 1997 Mediterranean Games Bronze Medalist[72]
  • Hellenic Boxing Federation
    • 1997 Acropolis Cup Silver Medalist[73]

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing Record
22 wins (12 (T)KO's, 10 Decisions), 7 Losses (4 (T)KO's, 3 Decisions)
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
2013-03-15 Win Suriname Ismael Londt K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 Final, Final Zagreb, Croatia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 22-7
Wins K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 title.
2013-03-15 Win Ukraine Pavel Zhuravlev K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 Final, Semi Finals Zagreb, Croatia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 21-7
2013-03-15 Win United States Jarrell Miller K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 Final, Quarter Finals Zagreb, Croatia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 20-7
2012-10-14 Win United States Randy Blake K-1 World Grand Prix 2012 in Tokyo Final 16, First Round Tokyo, Japan Decision (Majority) 3 3:00 19–7
2012-05-27 Win Spain Loren Javier Jorge K-1 World MAX 2012 World Championship Tournament Final 16, Super Fight Madrid, Spain KO (Left uppercut) 2 2:23 18–7
2012-03-10 Win New Zealand Ray Sefo Cro Cop Final Fight 2012 Zagreb, Croatia Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 17–7
2003-04-30 Win United States Bob Sapp K-1 World Grand Prix 2003 in Saitama Saitama, Japan KO (Left Cross) 1 1:26 16–7
2002-06-14 Win Netherlands Remy Bonjasky K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan TKO (Referee Stoppage) 2 2:06 15–7
2002-03-03 Win New Zealand Mark Hunt K-1 World Grand Prix 2002 in Nagoya Nagoya, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 14–7
2002-01-27 Win Japan Ryushi Yanagisawa K-1 Rising 2002 Shizuoka, Japan TKO (Doctor Stoppage) 1 2:44 13–7
2001-06-16 Loss Canada Michael McDonald K-1 World Grand Prix 2001 in Melbourne Melbourne, Australia TKO (Referee Stoppage) 1 1:24 12–7
2001-03-17 Win Netherlands Peter Aerts K-1 Gladiators 2001 Yokohama, Japan Decision (Majority) 5 3:00 12–6
2001-01-30 Win Japan Tatsufumi Tomihara K-1 Rising 2001 Matsuyama, Japan TKO (Referee Stoppage) 2 2:55 11–6
2000-12-10 Loss Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 Final Tokyo, Japan Ext.R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 10–6
2000-10-09 Loss South Africa Mike Bernardo K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan TKO (Corner Stoppage) 1 1:07 10–5
Fight was for the K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Fukuoka title.
2000-10-09 Win Japan Hiromi Amada K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 10–4
2000-10-09 Win Brazil Glaube Feitosa K-1 World Grand Prix 2000 in Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00 9–4
2000-09-01 Win England Stuart Green K-1 Grand Prix Europe 2000 Zagreb, Croatia TKO (High Kick) 2 2:51 8–4
2000-06-03 Loss Switzerland Andy Hug K-1 Fight Night 2000 Zurich, Switzerland Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 7–4
Fight was for the WKA World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight title.
2000-03-19 Win Japan Hiromi Amada K-1 Burning 2000 Yokohama, Japan KO (Left Punch) 4 2:51 7–3
1999-12-05 Loss Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix 1999 Final Final Tokyo, Japan KO (Body Shot) 3 1:13 6–3
Fight was for K-1 Grand Prix 1999 title.
1999-12-05 Win Australia Sam Greco K-1 Grand Prix 1999 Final Semi Finals Tokyo, Japan TKO (Referee Stoppage) 2 2:50 6–2
1999-12-05 Win Japan Musashi K-1 Grand Prix 1999 Final Quarter Finals Tokyo, Japan TKO (Referee Stoppage) 2 1:09 5–2
1999-10-05 Win South Africa Mike Bernardo K-1 World Grand Prix '99 Opening Round Osaka, Japan TKO (Referee Stoppage) 1 1:20 4–2
Qualifies for K-1 Grand Prix 1999 Final.
1999-06-20 Loss Albania Xhavit Bajrami K-1 Braves '99 Semi Finals Fukuoka, Japan Ext.R Decision (Unanimous) 4 3:00 3–2
1999-06-20 Win England Ricky Nickolson K-1 Braves '99 Quarter Finals Fukuoka, Japan KO (High Kick) 1 1:20 3–1
1999-04-25 Win South Africa Jan Nortje K-1 Revenge '99 Yokohama, Japan KO (Left Hook) 4 1:58 2–1
1996-05-06 Loss Netherlands Ernesto Hoost K-1 Grand Prix 1996 Final Quarter Finals Yokohama, Japan KO (Low Kick) 3 1:27 1–1
1996-03-10 Win France Jérôme Le Banner K-1 Grand Prix '96 Opening Battle Yokohama, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 5 3:00 1–0
Qualifies for K-1 Grand Prix 1996 Final.

Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
41 matches 28 wins 10 losses
By knockout 20 5
By submission 5 2
By decision 3 3
Draws 2
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 26–6–2



1 6:32 Kanagawa, Japan
Win 25–6–2 December 31, 2008 2 3:11 Saitama, Japan Won the Dream Heavyweight Championship.
Win 24–6–2 Alistair Overeem NC (Knee to the Groin) Dream 6 September 23, 2008 1 6:09 Saitama, Japan
Win 23–6–2 Tatsuya Mizuno KO (punches) Dream 1 March 15, 2008 1 0:56 Saitama, Japan
Loss 22–6–2 Cheick Kongo Decision (unanimous) UFC 75 September 8, 2007 3 5:00 London, England
Loss 22–5–2 Gabriel Gonzaga KO (head kick) UFC 70 April 21, 2007 1 4:51 Manchester, England UFC Heavyweight title eliminator.
Win 22–4–2 Eddie Sanchez TKO (punches) UFC 67 February 3, 2007 1 4:33 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 21–4–2 Josh Barnett Submission (punches) Pride Final Absolute September 10, 2006 1 7:32 Saitama, Japan 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Final. 2006 Pride World Grand Prix Open-Weight Champion.
Win 20–4–2 Wanderlei Silva KO (head kick) Pride Final Absolute September 10, 2006 1 5:22 Saitama, Japan 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Semifinal. 2006 Knockout of the Year.
Win 19–4–2 Hidehiko Yoshida TKO (leg kicks) Pride Critical Absolute July 1, 2006 1 7:38 Saitama, Japan 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Quarterfinal.
Win 18–4–2 Ikuhisa Minowa TKO (punches) Pride Elimination Absolute May 5, 2006 1 1:10 Osaka, Japan 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Opening Round.
Loss 17–4–2 Mark Hunt Decision (split) Pride Shockwave December 31, 2005 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Win 17–3–2 Josh Barnett Decision (unanimous) Pride 30 October 23, 2005 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Loss 16–3–2 Fedor Emelianenko Decision (unanimous) Pride Final Conflict 2005 August 28, 2005 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan For the Pride Heavyweight Championship. 2005 Fight of the Year.
Win 16–2–2 Ibragim Magomedov KO (kick to the body) Pride Critical June 26, 2005 1 3:53 Saitama, Japan
Win 15–2–2 Mark Coleman KO (punches) Pride 29 February 20, 2005 1 3:40 Saitama, Japan
Win 14–2–2 Kevin Randleman Submission (guillotine choke) Pride Shockwave December 31, 2004 1 0:41 Saitama, Japan
Win 13–2–2 Josh Barnett Submission (shoulder injury) Pride 28 October 31, 2004 1 0:46 Saitama, Japan
Win 12–2–2 Alexander Emelianenko KO (head kick) Pride Conflict August 15, 2004 1 2:09 Saitama, Japan
Win 11–2–2 Shungo Oyama KO (punches) Pride Bushido 4 July 19, 2004 1 1:00 Aichi, Japan
Win 10–2–2 Hiromitsu Kanehara Decision (unanimous) Pride Bushido 3 May 23, 2004 2 5:00 Kanagawa, Japan
Loss 9–2–2 Kevin Randleman KO (punches) Pride Elimination April 25, 2004 1 1:57 Saitama, Japan 2004 Pride Heavyweight Grand Prix Opening Round.
Win 9–1–2 Yoshihisa Yamamoto KO (Soccer Kicks & Punches) Pride Bushido 2 February 15, 2004 1 2:12 Saitama, Japan
Win 8–1–2 Ron Waterman TKO (soccer kicks) Pride 27 February 1, 2004 1 4:37 Osaka, Japan
Loss 7–1–2 Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Submission (armbar) Pride Critical November 9, 2003 2 1:45 Tokyo, Japan For the Interim Pride Heavyweight Championship. 2003 Fight of the Year.
Win 7–0–2 Alberto Del Rio KO (head kick) Pride Bushido 1 October 5, 2003 1 0:46 Saitama, Japan
Win 6–0–2 Igor Vovchanchyn KO (head kick) Pride Elimination August 10, 2003 1 1:29 Saitama, Japan 2003 Knockout of the Year.
Win 5–0–2 Heath Herring TKO (body kick & punches) Pride 26 June 8, 2003 1 3:17 Kanagawa, Japan
Win 4–0–2 Kazuyuki Fujita Decision (unanimous) Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2002 December 31, 2002 3 5:00 Saitama, Japan
Win 3–0–2 Kazushi Sakuraba TKO (eye injury) Pride Shockwave August 28, 2002 2 5:00 Tokyo, Japan
Draw 2–0–2 Wanderlei Silva Draw Pride 20 April 28, 2002 5 3:00 Kanagawa, Japan Fought under special rules
Win 2–0–1 Yuji Nagata KO (head kick) Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001 December 31, 2001 1 0:21 Saitama, Japan
Draw 1–0–1 Nobuhiko Takada Draw Pride 17 November 3, 2001 5 3:00 Tokyo, Japan
Win 1–0 Kazuyuki Fujita TKO (cut) Andy Hug Memorial August 19, 2001 1 0:39 Saitama, Japan

See also

References

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  2. ^ LiverKick.com Heavyweight Rankings: April 2013
  3. ^ "Mirko Cro Cop – UFC Take Two". Ufc.com. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  4. ^ Coffeen, Fraser (2011-10-30). "UFC 137 Results: Mirko Cro Cop Announces Retirement After Loss". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  5. ^ Rousseau, Robert. "Mirko Cro Cop – Bio, Training, and Fighting Techniques of 'The Croatian Sensation'". ExtremeProSports.com. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  6. ^ "MMA's All-Time Heavyweights". Sherdog. 2011-09-10. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  7. ^ Wakabayashi, Dwight (2011-12-16). "The 20 Greatest Heavyweights in MMA History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  8. ^ Hirth, James (August 26, 2005). "Sherdog.com Preview: Pride "Final Conflict" Part III – Fedor vs. "Cro Cop"". Sherdog. Retrieved June 20, 2007.
  9. ^ “”. "Mirko Cro Cop VS Jerome Le Banner". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-07-09. {{cite web}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
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  11. ^ "PRIDE Final Conflict 2005 Results, Fight Card, News, Videos, Pictures, and more". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  12. ^ "Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko MMA Stats, Pictures, News , Videos, Biography, and More". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  13. ^ Lewis, Destiny (April 7, 2007). "Fedor Emelianenko the Best Fighter in the World?". Gambling 911. Retrieved June 7, 2009.
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  18. ^ Sherwood; Jeff, Gross, Josh (December 13, 2006). "Source: Mirko "Cro Cop" Chooses UFC". Sherdog. Retrieved June 20, 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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  25. ^ a b c Loiseleur, Tony (February 13, 2008). "'Dream' Come True? New Promotion Announced". Sherdog.com. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  26. ^ "Dream 6 official card". Dreamofficial.com. September 23, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
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  30. ^ "Report: CroCop signing for UFC after getting "offer he cannot refuse"". Fighters Only Magazine. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
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  38. ^ "Cro Cop steps in for injured Nog against Mir, UFC 119". fightersonly.com. August 15, 2010.
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  42. ^ Mirko u gipsu najavio spektakularni oproštaj u Areni. Gol.dnevnik.hr (2011-11-14). Retrieved on 2012-05-05.
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  44. ^ "Cro Cop Finds His Groove, Ko's Jorge Last Weekend". bjpenn.com.
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  46. ^ K-1 Final 16 Matches Unveiled
  47. ^ K-1 WGP Final 16, Finalized Fight Card For This Sunday, October 14
  48. ^ K-1 World Grand Prix Final 16 Live Results
  49. ^ Another Cro Cop Final Fight On March 15, Plans For 2013
  50. ^ Mirko Cro Cop wants to fight Gokhan Saki in 2013
  51. ^ K-1 World Grand Prix 2013 Live Results
  52. ^ K-1 World Grand Prix Final 8 results and LIVE kickboxing coverage from Zagreb, Croatia TODAY (March 15)
  53. ^ 2012 K-1 World Grand Prix winner: Mirko 'Cro Cop' turns back the clock in Croatia, tops Ismael Londt in final
  54. ^ Mirko Cro Cop Gets His Cro Cop On, Wins 2013 K-1 Grand Prix (March 21)
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  56. ^ "Cro Cop and Aleksander Emelianenko to remtach in Moscow". fightersonlymag.com. 2013-06-24.
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  71. ^ "29.Grand Prix Tournament - Usti, Czech Republic - February 27 - March 1, 1998". http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
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  73. ^ "Acropolis Cup - Athens, Greece - May 21-25 1997". http://amateur-boxing.strefa.pl. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)

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