Ill copy and paste what I said when we did a fav fighter give away...
CRO COP
Watch this. Get Hyped.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na0Gucw1qK0
Mirko.
This is a guy that shouldn't exist. That's all I kept thinking the first time I saw him. He showed up in MMA like some sort of action figure, complete with kung fu grip.....errr kick.
He is a huge JCVD fan, but is like the real life version of every 80's action movie I ever saw. He goes to K-1 and just can't quite beat Hoost.
He comes to MMA. He just can't quite beat Fedor.
But here's the thing...It didn't matter. He had just as much hype and excitement as anyone. Every fight was like watching those videos of a cobra and mongoose fight...maybe they are feeling each other out. But you're always waiting for that strike. But that's just the surface. In reality, he was one of the most exciting counter strikers ever with a world class takedown defense. Hands so fast, legs like Zohan.
2006 OWGP in Pride happens...finally gets his belt! Stone faced Croatian finally shows some real emotion at getting a belt. I might have really enjoyed that moment.
New MMA fans see crocop now. Still bursts of power, but not the reflexes and combos he once had. How good was cro cop? Cro Cop left Pride and it was HUGE. UFC got him for something like 350k per fight + PPV sharing. This isn't all revisionist history by a fan, the UFC saw the talent too and paid huge bucks before Pride was bought out. But without the ring corners, with Fedor showing how to circle away from the kick, and with time setting in, CC couldn't quite meet what he was doing before. So wtf happens?? He goes to the UFC management and is like "yo, can I leave to a competing Japanese organization, get some tune up fights and come back?" What the hell do they do? Tell him its all good. See you soon! and they did see him soon. This is just amazing. This is right in the middle of the UFC suing Randy Couture for breech of contract and all the arguments about exclusive fight rights.
But Cro Cop has always been an exception.
I am a Crocop fanboy.
PS If anyone has a Bushido 4 poster for sale, I'm buying.
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