OFFICIAL: CroCop is a UFC fighter!

[Panzerfaust]

Dec 27th 2006

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is expected to introduce Croatian heavyweight Mirko Filipovic (Pictures) as its newest acquisition during the Dec. 30 UFC 66 pay-per-view card, Sherdog.com learned Wednesday afternoon.

A star in the competitive PRIDE Fighting Championships' heavyweight division from Nov. 2001 through Sept. 2006 — when "Cro Cop" captured PRIDE's Open-Weight Grand Prix crown — Filipovic is slated to make his Octagon debut against Southern California's Eddie Sanchez, a source close to Sanchez said.

Widely recognized as the best heavyweight mixed martial artist in the world behind Russian Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures), "Cro Cop" has amassed in impressive 21-4-2 record, including recent triumphs over Wanderlei Silva (Pictures) and Josh Barnett (Pictures) in the GP to cap off his Fighter of the Year-caliber performance.

Undefeated in six fights, Sanchez made his UFC debut on short notice as part of the Hughes-Penn II undercard and stopped Mario Neto. The heavyweight's other contests, all of which he won before the bell, took place in King of the Cage and Total Combat.

[Panzerfaust]

I can't believe Sanches would take this fight, thats career ****ing suicide..he is gonna be a HL reel for years to come.

Some ****ing heads are about to roll in the UFC HW division.

Let's all say a word for Tim Sylvia, well Tim i hope you had a nice time with that belt, it belongs to CroCop very soon..make love to it as much as you can cause you can kiss that ****er goodbye.

[Sharky72]

Lol, Tim and the belt are on a plane right now headed somewhere far far far away... Tell me he's not sh1tting his pants right now

[IamtheChitt]

awesome news!!!!!

[kihop]

Wow, I really didn't think this was gonna happen.
Looking forward to actually enjoing fights in the UFC HW division.

[Knockout_Power]

Wow, I really didn't think this was gonna happen.
Looking forward to actually enjoing fights in the UFC HW division.

ME TOO!!!! and thats something I really didnt expect to be saying anytime soon. Hopefully we get a CroCop vs. Arlovski before the title shot.

[QuieTSToRM33]

YES !!! .... finally

[Quil]

UFC may save Cro Cop v AA for a title defense...

[Geezy]

Hell yes!!! The heavyweight div. has been sucking for too long!

[Hunter]

well poor poor tim. Thats is gonna be ugly.

[Panzerfaust]

UFC may save Cro Cop v AA for a title defense...

CroCop would KO Arlovski in the 1st rd...

Mark my words..remember this post. Arlovski is a scrub compared to CC..who the **** has Arlovski fought besides Sylvia? Exactly!

[Standard01]

CroCop would KO Arlovski in the 1st rd...

Mark my words..remember this post. Arlovski is a scrub compared to CC..who the **** has Arlovski fought besides Sylvia? Exactly!

Unless Arlovski had a new chin implanted, and then it would just end in the 2nd rd.

[kihop]

Do you guys think that Tim's height advantage would decrease the advantage of mirko's high kicks?

[Panzerfaust]

Do you guys think that Tim's height advantage would decrease the advantage of mirko's high kicks?

Ask Alexander Emelianenko..he is 6'5 and he got one right up against his skull..no doubt CC can kick Sylvia in the noggin. Remember Sylvia slouches when he fights so i am sure he is around 6'5-6'6 when slouched down...kinda like Overeem.

[Panzerfaust]

CC is gonna bring a level of athleticism to the HW division that UFC has never seen before. I am definately ordering the PPV he is on come February even if it does cost Sanchez his career.

[Hunter]

Andrei, tim vera all of them have nothing on CC plain and simple.

[Quil]

CroCop would KO Arlovski in the 1st rd...

Mark my words..remember this post. Arlovski is a scrub compared to CC..who the **** has Arlovski fought besides Sylvia? Exactly!

I don't doubt that at all...but IMO Dana will want to preserve a big name matchup like that for a title bout. That way he avoids any possibility of being faced with AA/Sylvia 4 (not that AA would beat CC, but you see what I'm saying). No point in matching those two up for a non-title bout when you could go ahead and let CC get the belt and then defend it against Arlovski. Big PPV money there...

[sooners04]

It won't matter who they put up against CC. This is going to be fun watching him roll through the HW division. God Sylvia is in trouble!!!

[rar1015]

He's fighting this saturday???

[Motion]

He's fighting this saturday???

No, they are probably gonna announce his fight on Superbowl Sunday this Saturday.

[Sepsis]

well big tim's little toothpick legs are going to snap from crocop's low kicks. i predick this fight will end just like crocop vs yoshida!

[CJC1981]

I can't believe Sanches would take this fight, thats career ****ing suicide..he is gonna be a HL reel for years to come.

Some ****ing heads are about to roll in the UFC HW division.

Let's all say a word for Tim Sylvia, well Tim i hope you had a nice time with that belt, it belongs to CroCop very soon..make love to it as much as you can cause you can kiss that ****er goodbye.

I agree. I just wonder why eddie sanches? At the very, very least cro-cop should have debuted against vera.

[Panzerfaust]

For those wondering how CroCop can kick Tim in the head, here he is kicking Jan "The Giant" Nortje who is 6'10 in the head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5nQym69OcY

[Panzerfaust]

[QuieTSToRM33]

Nice !