[jin2daj]

why cro cop the underdog against pat barry? cro cop is still coming off a win and its not like barry's ko of hardonk was that impressive.

cro cop might be gettting old but shouldnt he still be able to outclass barry?

what are your thoughts?

[illmatick]

agree, I remember a lot of people here being on Hardonk when he fought Barry, that could have a lot to do with why he's getting so much love in this fight, similar to the Chuck vs Franklin fight I think people are underestimating how much Crop has left in the tank


anyone here think Hardonk is a better fighter than Cro-Cop, I would like to hear why?

[Vaughany]

Hardonk definetly isnt better thn Hardonk. But Barry is goin to be quicker and hungrier...more xplosive! He seems like a fighter who is going to drastically improve after every fight. But I was expecting Barry to be more at evens rather thn the 4/6 I can get him at now so may avoid it and jus enjoy the fight. The easier fights to win money on with P.Thiago, Wilks and Griffin.

[brooks85]

these interviews im seeing from barry are pissing me off. It is just an interview but if fights this like a k1 fight then he can definitely lose. If he would just go in there and put the heat on CC he would win no doubt in my mind. The MAIN reason CC had success in pride was because people backed away from him. He definitely was an intimidating figure but that is the worse possible gameplan you could have against CC, you need to be in his face, give him no distance. Barry could do this easily imo but these interviews are driving me crazy, im afraid all this respect barry is giving him will carry over into the cage.

[illmatick]

I don't know who it was but I remember someone here making a great point about how when fighters fight one of their idols they end up giving way too much respect in the cage and often times lose because of it, most recent example of that would be when Cain fought little Nog, although we now know Cain might have been a little over hyped either way

[brooks85]

i think im going to end up buying back

[Vaughany]

I don't know who it was but I remember someone here making a great point about how when fighters fight one of their idols they end up giving way too much respect in the cage and often times lose because of it, most recent example of that would be when Cain fought little Nog, although we now know Cain might have been a little over hyped either way

COnfused me then! Thought u meant Cain Velasquez but I now realise u mean Banha Cane I assume!

[illmatick]

yeah I meant Luis Cane, poor guy had to go up against an Olympic boxer and a professional MT/ Kickboxer in back to back fights

[Vaughany]

yeah I meant Luis Cane, poor guy had to go up against an Olympic boxer and a professional MT/ Kickboxer in back to back fights

ha yee tough on him...another fighter who's striking is overrated by Goldberg!

[Vrakas]

cro cop should win this fight

[ThisGuy]

Anybody else see Crocop possibly taking Barry down and GNP if it's not going his way on the feet?

[GoGoGadget]

nope

[SweatySombrero]

[COLOR=#000000 ! important]Hardonk definetly isnt better thn Hardonk. But Barry is goin to be quicker and hungrier...more xplosive! He seems like a fighter who is going to drastically improve after every fight. But I was expecting Barry to be more at evens rather thn the 4/6 I can get him at now so may avoid it and jus enjoy the fight. The easier fights to win money on with P.Thiago, Wilks and Griffin.[/COLOR]
__________________




o yeah. all the time

[Chairib]

Since these guys are primarily strikers, you guys should really be looking at the size difference between Barry and Cro Cop and what importance that plays. Also, Cro Cop hits much harder than Hardonk does.

[illmatick]

Since these guys are primarily strikers, you guys should really be looking at the size difference between Barry and Cro Cop and what importance that plays. Also, Cro Cop hits much harder than Hardonk does.

I think cop's straight left is going to be trouble for barry, Hardonk was semi effective with that same punch early on in their fight, that straight left even gave dos santos partial trouble when Cro-Cop fought him

Barry should probably be at 205, especially against this new breed of heavyweights

[kisado]

Because this is half the man that was a former Pride star. Cro Cop has fallen off hard. Don't hallucinate and think you'll ever see a left high kick send-you-to-the-cemetary KO ever again from the Croat. He's sucked since coming over to the UFC and has struggled with mediocre fighters. Has he even finished a fight in the past few years? This is the level that Mirko has fallen to, sadly enough- Being a small underdog against some no-namer.

[jin2daj]

Because this is half the man that was a former Pride star. Cro Cop has fallen off hard. Don't hallucinate and think you'll ever see a left high kick send-you-to-the-cemetary KO ever again from the Croat. He's sucked since coming over to the UFC and has struggled with mediocre fighters. Has he even finished a fight in the past few years? This is the level that Mirko has fallen to, sadly enough- Being a small underdog against some no-namer.

sad, i guess this fight is too volatile to lay money on. ill just sit back and enjoy this one. war cro cop!

[terpkeg]

Because this is half the man that was a former Pride star. Cro Cop has fallen off hard. Don't hallucinate and think you'll ever see a left high kick send-you-to-the-cemetary KO ever again from the Croat. He's sucked since coming over to the UFC and has struggled with mediocre fighters. Has he even finished a fight in the past few years? This is the level that Mirko has fallen to, sadly enough- Being a small underdog against some no-namer.

Seems like much of his speed and aggressiveness is gone. Feel like Barry is going to be the much quicker fighter. I am sitting on Barry at +135.

[GoGoGadget]

If Barry stands in range and just wants to trade shots that would be a huge mistake. He needs to press the action and close the distance like the other fighters who have had success against cro cop. Also liked Gonzaga's strategy of circling hard to the left.

He has all the video he needs on how to fight against crocop and how not to. If he has a good strategy I think Barry takes it.

[bogbat]

I don't know who it was but I remember someone here making a great point about how when fighters fight one of their idols they end up giving way too much respect in the cage and often times lose because of it, most recent example of that would be when Cain fought little Nog, although we now know Cain might have been a little over hyped either way

Both little Nog and Diabate are south paws. Cains problem is he can't handle south paws. Can't remember who it was but someone close to his camp has even came out and said so.

[sundin4prez]

people are doubting cro cop cause because he hasent looked himself for a while... but im going all in on him, i dont understand how barry is a fav., he's smaller, less experienced, lower punching power and hes facing one of his idols so he's going to be timid.... people are drinking the berry kool aid after one nice win, for god sakes he lost to tom hauge.... i see no reason not to bet on cro cop at a small underdog

[vassman86]

these interviews im seeing from barry are pissing me off. It is just an interview but if fights this like a k1 fight then he can definitely lose. If he would just go in there and put the heat on CC he would win no doubt in my mind. The MAIN reason CC had success in pride was because people backed away from him. He definitely was an intimidating figure but that is the worse possible gameplan you could have against CC, you need to be in his face, give him no distance. Barry could do this easily imo but these interviews are driving me crazy, im afraid all this respect barry is giving him will carry over into the cage.

Yes, CC's opponents haven't been scared of him recently. He doesn't intimidate people like he did in pride.

[ufcmma36]

agree, I remember a lot of people here being on Hardonk when he fought Barry, that could have a lot to do with why he's getting so much love in this fight, similar to the Chuck vs Franklin fight I think people are underestimating how much Crop has left in the tank


anyone here think Hardonk is a better fighter than Cro-Cop, I would like to hear why?

As I remember in the K-1 days Hardonk and Mirko were supposed too square off and last minute CC backed out... Hardonk really wanted that fight. When CC came too the UFC they immediately were here much chatter about a fight between CC and Hardonk, however CC lost to Gonzaga and screwed that up... Now Pat Barry has defeated Hardonk and it would be pointless too try and sell that fight anymore so here we are with Cro-Cop against the guy who defeated the opponent that was supposed to fight!

[cky312]

I'd give cro cop a look if he swings up to +150. Otherwise it's a no play for me.

[Chairib]

Because this is half the man that was a former Pride star. Cro Cop has fallen off hard. Don't hallucinate and think you'll ever see a left high kick send-you-to-the-cemetary KO ever again from the Croat. He's sucked since coming over to the UFC and has struggled with mediocre fighters. Has he even finished a fight in the past few years? This is the level that Mirko has fallen to, sadly enough- Being a small underdog against some no-namer.

That's one way of looking at it. Or you could say that Cro Cop is exactly the same fighter he was in Pride but everything else around him has changed.

[cky312]

people are doubting cro cop cause because he hasent looked himself for a while... but im going all in on him, i dont understand how barry is a fav., he's smaller, less experienced, lower punching power and hes facing one of his idols so he's going to be timid.... people are drinking the berry kool aid after one nice win, for god sakes he lost to tom hauge.... i see no reason not to bet on cro cop at a small underdog

I think only thing wrong with your statement is the punching power, Barry's power IMO is right there if not better than CroCop's

That's one way of looking at it. Or you could say that Cro Cop is exactly the same fighter he was in Pride but everything else around him has changed.

I think the life changing fight for CroCop was ever since he ripped up his knee from the Gonzaga fight. He has look tentative, slower, and just lacks the killer instinct he once had. Ofcourse a lot of that had to do with the mystique he carried with him from the PRIDE days like chutebox did. But he just can't throw that head kick anymore like he use to. Honestly, when was the last time you remember him even trying to throw the head kick? He use to just flick the left leg around like it was nothing.

[Kaladarus]

Crocop has a good chin and one good leg left. He could win this fight.

[Vrakas]

the cop is too old I think that he will lose but because I always guess wrong , I will bet my months pay on the cop winning this one.

[vassman86]

Leaning toward Pat Barry. I know if this fight takes on a K1-style stand-up war, it's pretty even. But I'd like to take my chances with the younger, faster fighter.

[RobbReport]

Barry is a beast with his kickboxing but Crocop is desperate to prove something. i was leaning Barry but i'm scared to bet this match.

[jin2daj]

just put some points on cro cop and chuck, i figure if just 1 wins, ill come out ahead lol.

[dmiles1021]

"Left kick hospital, right kick cemetery"

Crocop wins

[Eccocide]

Interesting Read. I didn't know the extent of the leg injury.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/19423/rebu...at-ufc-115.mma

Once considered among the most feared strikers in mixed martial arts, when Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (26-7-2 MMA, 3-3 UFC) first uttered the words "right leg hospital, left leg cemetery," it didn't exactly seem like simple braggadocio.

An experienced K-1 kickboxer with potent striking, Filipovic has enjoyed just moderate success since joining the UFC in 2007. But with "Cro Cop" set to face fellow knockout artist Pat Barry (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at next week's UFC 115 event in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Filipovic said his ready to flash vintage form in a crowd-pleasing affair.

"[Barry] is a good fighter, very fast, and I saw the way he destroyed (Antoni) Hardonk," Filipovic told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) on Friday's media call promoting the event. "It was amazing. It will be a good fight, and I'm looking forward to it."

When Filipovic came to the UFC, he was riding a wave of 12 wins in 14 PRIDE contests, and his kickboxing-based style had earned "Cro Cop" a legion of fans around the world. But despite transitioning to a cage after spending years fighting in a ring, Filipovic declined to concern himself with the type of structure surrounding the fighting surface and limped off to a 1-2 start in the UFC.

Filipovic said he now realizes that was a mistake.

"There are so many small details that I actually wasn't aware about," Filipovic said. "Fighting in a cage is fighting in a cage. It's not a ring. The cage has its own rules, and it's a big difference.

"I spent my whole career fighting in Japan in a ring. The cage is a cage. ... (Now) I have an original UFC cage in my house. I have a gym inside my house, and I have cage there."

But Filipovic didn't stop there. The Croatian made a complete change in his regimen prior to his most recent win – a UFC 110 victory over Australian journeyman Anthony Perosh – and he believes the adjustments are paying serious dividends.

"It is very important to have a camp like Ivan Hippolyte has in Amsterdam," Filipovic said. "First of all, he's a first-class coach. Second thing, there are many sparring partners, which I don't have in Zagreb, in Croatia. It's good to go there to be isolated.

"I don't think [my old training partners] were on the level like professionals. I don't want to offend them. They are my friends who came to help me, but they're just not that kind of level of fighters that I can find in Amsterdam. It's one thing to spar with friends of mine who are good, very solid fighters. But it's another thing to spar with Remy Bonjasky and other K-1 stars. That's something very different."

But along with the change in scenery and adjustments in training, Filipovic said there's one more important aspect to his improved attack: himself.

The 35-year-old said his lethal legs are finally 100 percent again, and he's ready to let them fly.

"Thank God finally I have recovered completely," Filipovic said. "I had a very bad injury two years ago. My leg was broken. The knee was completely broken. I had three surgeries for the knee, and of course it reflected in my kicking. I was afraid to kick. It was still very fresh, but I decided to take the risk for the Cologne fight (UFC 99).

"One year ago, it was only six months after the surgery, so it was a suicide according to the doctor, but I decided to take the fight, and I decided to take another fight with (Junior) Dos Santos, which wasn't a smart idea in that condition. But I'm a fighter. I like the sport. I like fighting, and I like competition. But obviously you need to make a decision with the head and not with the heart."

It's that recovery process that Filipovic cites for a ho-hum win over Mostapha and the loss to Dos Santos.

"It was really a hard injury, and it really took time, Filipovic said. "Now it is one-and-a-half years since I had the operation, and it's finally OK. Finally, two months ago, I started with the full kicking.

"If you noticed, I didn't even try to do a kick with Mostapha Al-Turk. I didn't try – or I tried only once – to kick Junior Dos Santos. I didn't feel very stable in kicking. I didn't feel my leg good, so I just didn't kick. Of course it frustrated me a lot, but it was my decision to enter the cage. It was my decision to accept the fight. Nobody forced me in that, but thank God that is behind me now and the legs are OK."

Written off by some MMA observers as past his prime during his current 5-3 stretch, Filipovic respectfully disagrees. In fact, if "Cro Cop" is right about his current path, Barry might soon be looking to cash in on some free Canadian healthcare.

"[Barry] is a good fighter, a good striker, and that's what I like," Filipovic said. "I like to fight strikers. I don't like to fight (grapplers) – not because I can't handle it. I just prefer to stay in a standup position. Pat will stay in a standup position.

"It will be a good standup war, and I think the audience will be very satisfied with the fight. Plus I think there will be many Croatian fans. Vancouver has a strong Croatian community. There will be many Croatian flags. What fighter could wish more than that? A good opponent, an excellent audience, that's all I can wish."

[Kaladarus]

I think this will be one of the best fights of the night. Hopefully someone gets KO.

[Chairib]

Interesting Read. I didn't know the extent of the leg injury.


When Filipovic came to the UFC, he was riding a wave of 12 wins in 14 PRIDE contests, and his kickboxing-based style had earned "Cro Cop" a legion of fans around the world. But despite transitioning to a cage after spending years fighting in a ring, Filipovic declined to concern himself with the type of structure surrounding the fighting surface and limped off to a 1-2 start in the UFC.

Filipovic said he now realizes that was a mistake.

He's just now realizing that?

One of his major problems switching over to the UFC was the cage and how much bigger it is compared to a Pride ring. His footwork has always been shite and fighting in the UFC has only magnified his weaknesses.