Cro Cop Provides Some Insight
According to the website javno.com (via MMAJunkie) Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic has stated that he will indeed return to the octagon after competing in Japan with the new DREAM promotion. Cro Cop also shed some light on his departure from the UFC and says that he has not inked with another organization:
“ White obviously thought that I am still on holiday, but I have informed him that I am still training and that I want to fight already in March. However, the UFC could not find me an adversary, and I did not want to break my training and start another cycle to fight in May. Apart from that, I was hungry of fighting and tense like a dog…..Shortly after speaking to White, I received the call from the managers of Dream. I have not signed any contract with them, but we just arranged three fights in March, July and September. I never signed any contracts with Japanese. We arranged everything verbally and we never had problems.”
Additionally, Cro Cop attempted to explain the psychological and perhaps philosophical factors behind his lackluster UFC performances:
“Obviously fell into some psychological crisis. Even in the first fight against Sanchez it was visible I was not the old Mirko. Maybe I was fulfilled with the Grand Prix title. It is hard to explain. I only know that I did not have that killing instinct. I lost 5 kilos before the performance, and trainings went bad. On the day of the fight against Kong I woke up and thought “what do I need this for, why do I fight with a man I have never seen before’, I had enough of it.”
Lastly, Mirko appears to have no patience for those who feel that his departure is nothing more than a Cro Cop-out (pun intended):
“I do not care how people will understand this, I do not have to respond to anyone. I have already mentioned that I will take part in three fights for Dream, and that then I will return to the UFC. And to all internet know-it-alls I say to put gloves on and to enter the ring or the cage themselves before insulting whatever fighter. I repeat, I am not avoiding the UFC, and will come back by the end of the year.”
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“And to all internet know-it-alls I say to put gloves on and to enter the ring or the cage themselves before insulting whatever fighter.” I guess he reads the comments on mmafrenzy.com. ElOhEl.
glad to see cro cop intends on giving it another go in ufc. but i am a bit worried when a fighter is talking about these sort of psychological problems. because nothing has changed for him really so why would this problem just disappear? maybe hes just looking for a way to explain his performances to himself more than to others. whatever the problems i hope he does get to give it one more go in ufc.
If it’s psychological maybe he can see a sports psychologist and work through it. If he really doesn’t want to keep fighting he should stop. It’s not like he can half-ass it and collect a pay cheque like at a desk job. If he does that he’ll get his ass whooped and be embarrassed.
if that kick to his head really made him gunshy, he’s making a big mistake fighting, but if he comes back a truely fearless gladiator, he will trounce on some folks.
If you’re willing to take his statements at face value (and I am), it would seem he lacked the focus he needed when he came to the UFC…like he felt he wasn’t fighting toward anything. How he couldn’t be focused on getting a shot at Couture and the heavyweight title is a little perplexing but whatever…my point is, it would seem that his losses (and probably the manner in which he lost) have given him the focus he needs to make a real go of it the next time around. Sort of like how GSP says losing to Serra was one of the best things that happened to him since it motivated him to become an even better fighter. I hope Mirko makes a similar run at it and works his way back to the top. I think it would be a shame for him end his career fighting in a lesser promotion, having failed so miserably in the UFC.