RIP Cro Cop

Ambulance Chaser · Sep 10, 2007

Mirko Cro Cop isn't dead, but his MMA career almost certainly is. Facing a hand-picked opponent, Cheick Kongo, at UFC 75 this past Saturday, Cro Cop turned in perhaps the most listless performance ever by a top-ranked fighter, losing a unanimous decision.

The rest of the card was pretty good. Marcus Davis-Paul Taylor was as action-packed a one-round fight you will ever see. Houston Alexander continued his meteoric rise, scoring another quick knockout. Dan Henderson and Rampage Jackson went the distance in a unification bout that could have gone either way. (I was rooting for Rampage but thought Henderson pulled it out with his submission attempts.) And Matt Hamill was robbed in a split decision that went to the hometown boy, Michael Bisping.

gorgekko · Sep 10, 2007

I'm surprised that Filipovic has fallen this far, this fast. Then again, Cheick Kongo was a lot more dangerous than many gave him credit for. I don't know if Cro Cop at the top of his game would have beaten Kongo but the performance he turned in this weekend was pretty said.

Then again, this isn't the first time that he lost a fight everyone thought he would win. Kevin Randleman kicked his butt a few years ago as well in PRIDE.

romafan · Sep 10, 2007

What is this? Canadian armwrestling?

Thomas · Sep 10, 2007

IMHO, it's that kick that's still ringing in his ears. Seriously, a fighter lands a really good one on you, puts you down hard despite all your preparation - some fighters bounce back, others never do.

odoreater · Sep 10, 2007

Seems to me that Mirko is so arrogant that he just refuses to do what he needs to do to win fights.

I can't believe that Bisping won that fight - that's one of the most outrageous decisions I've ever seen in MMA. He gets completely pumelled for 3 rounds and somehow winds up on top, and then has the balls to say that now there is no doubt who the real ultimate fighter winner is. Yes, there is no doubt that Matt Hamill kicked his ass for 3 rounds.

dkzzzz · Sep 10, 2007

I don't know which fight you were watching but Hammil was only good first half of first round. Then Bisping definitely outboxed him. He was quicker more technical and landed more punches. While Hammil was walking around the ring like a golem with his right arm stretched out.

On a side note, if I ever bet my money on these fights the only info I would need to make my pick for the winner is to know which fighter is black.

Dragon · Sep 10, 2007

Mirko was never THAT good at Pride/MMA type fighting, but he was really good (one of the best) at K-1 (kick boxing) type rules.

Manny Calavera · Sep 10, 2007

Originally Posted by odoreater

Seems to me that Mirko is so arrogant that he just refuses to do what he needs to do to win fights. I can't believe that Bisping won that fight - that's one of the most outrageous decisions I've ever seen in MMA. He gets completely pumelled for 3 rounds and somehow winds up on top, and then has the balls to say that now there is no doubt who the real ultimate fighter winner is. Yes, there is no doubt that Matt Hamill kicked his ass for 3 rounds.

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

I don't know which fight you were watching but Hammil was only good first half of first round. Then Bisping definitely outboxed him. He was quicker more technical and landed more punches. While Hammil was walking around the ring like a golem with his right arm stretched out. On a side note, if I ever bet my money on these fights the only info I would need to make my pick for the winner is to know which fighter is black.

Anyway, I agree with odoreater. I only watch MMA occasionally as I think it's pretty brutal, but as someone with full knowledge of how the scoring system works I would say Hammil definitely had the win. He fought sloppily, but he definitely landed more punches. This isn't wrestling; Bisping should not receive copious points for escapes and the only time in which he looked on par with Hamill was the last three minutes of the final round. What a shocking decision that was. Edit: A quote from the Baltimore Sun's Pramit Mohapatra:

Read the comments on this blog and other blogs and forums throughout the Internet and one thing is clear -- almost everyone outside London thinks Matt Hamill won his fight against Michael Bisping. And I agree with them.

Ambulance Chaser · Sep 10, 2007

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

I don't know which fight you were watching but Hammil was only good first half of first round. Then Bisping definitely outboxed him. He was quicker more technical and landed more punches. While Hammil was walking around the ring like a golem with his right arm stretched out.
In the fight I was watching, Bisping spent the entire fight running away and being thrown around like a rag doll. Yes, he landed more punches, but Hamill's did more damage, so at best it's a wash. And Hamill clearly won the other scoring factors -- grappling, aggression, and Octagon control.

If you have any doubt as to who won the fight, check out Bisping's body language at the end of the third round. He knows in his heart he lost.

odoreater · Sep 10, 2007

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

I don't know which fight you were watching but Hammil was only good first half of first round. Then Bisping definitely outboxed him. He was quicker more technical and landed more punches. While Hammil was walking around the ring like a golem with his right arm stretched out.

I don't know what fight you were watching, but I watched Bisping get his ass kicked for an entire fight. How a guy who is stuttering around the ring like a fool who can't gain control of the legs under him can win against a guy who essentially suffered no damage and controlled all of the action in the octogon for the whole fight is beyond me.

I will say though that it's not surprising that your anti-Americanism extends even to sport.

onion · Sep 10, 2007

Originally Posted by odoreater

Seems to me that Mirko is so arrogant that he just refuses to do what he needs to do to win fights.

I can't believe that Bisping won that fight - that's one of the most outrageous decisions I've ever seen in MMA. He gets completely pumelled for 3 rounds and somehow winds up on top, and then has the balls to say that now there is no doubt who the real ultimate fighter winner is. Yes, there is no doubt that Matt Hamill kicked his ass for 3 rounds.

So true. Hamill won 2 rounds at least, and you could make a very valid argument he won all three, as the only sober judge thought as well judging it 30-27. I wish Cecil Peoples would stick to boxing.

You know I have my doubts about the judges in this. Considering this was a non-sanctioned event and the UFC hand picked the judges to bring to the UK to score the event. I really don't see how anyone with half a brain who watched the fight would give the win to Bisping, yet two judges did. I would be interested in knowing how detailed the judges notes on the fight are, and what exactly made Bisping get the win. I was reading some very good MMA critics scoring of the fight and every one gave Hamill the win, most have it 30-27. Unlike professional judges, they post all their notes and numbers.

Mike · Sep 11, 2007

Here's another person saying Hamill won the fight. I watched it with a bunch of my buddies and everyone said pre-judges decisions that they would give the fight to Hamill, if they were judges. There was a collective groan and shouts of "bullshit!" when the decisions were announced. There was no way that Bisping won. Yeah he did hold his own, but Hamill definately controlled the fight. I hope the judges didn't just give it to him to keep trouble from happening in the arena.

RJman · Sep 11, 2007

Yeah, it's just looking worse and worse for Britney.

Ambulance Chaser · Sep 11, 2007

Originally Posted by Thomas

IMHO, it's that kick that's still ringing in his ears. Seriously, a fighter lands a really good one on you, puts you down hard despite all your preparation - some fighters bounce back, others never do.

Originally Posted by odoreater

Seems to me that Mirko is so arrogant that he just refuses to do what he needs to do to win fights.

Cro Cop's main problem is, and always has been, that he's a front runner. He gets very frustrated if he is unable to dominate his opponent right off the bat and tends to go into a shell. His fight with Mark Hunt, in which he landed several flush kicks to the side of Hunt's dome that did not even faze Hunt, is a perfect example. It didn't look like he even tried on Saturday.

Brian SD · Sep 11, 2007

Cro Cop is known for going into ruts. I hope to see him come out of this one soon because I miss his epic fights.

Mirko was never THAT good at Pride/MMA type fighting, but he was really good (one of the best) at K-1 (kick boxing) type rules.

I disagree. I believe the main reason he left K-1 is because he simply wasn't doing as well as he could in MMA. To say that this guy, who tore up Wanderlei Silva and gave Fedor the closest fight he's had is not THAT good at MMA is a bit off.

RIP Cro Cop

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