[MMA] Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic Calls Time on his MMA Career

[Zoom7000]

MIRKO FILIPOVIC has decided to hang up his gloves following his UFC 103 defeat to Junior Dos Santos.

The mixed martial arts legend — once regarded as the most feared striker on the planet — called time on his career after admitting he no longer has the desire to continue fighting.

UFC president Dana White suggested the 35-year-old Croatian should consider quitting after he verbally submitted to the dominant Dos Santos in the third round of their heavyweight encounter.

And Cro Cop has now admitted Saturday was his final professional MMA bout. He said: "Maybe the ones who have said that I'm done are right.

"Obviously, I can't break my mental block in the Octagon. I have twenty years of training like a spartan behind me. It has caught up with me, my body is broken down. I've been worn out."

Filipovic's career highlight was his 2006 Pride Open Weight Grand Prix triumph which saw him defeat Hidehiko Yoshida, Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett before clinching the title.

But since joining the UFC after Pride's collapse in 2007, Cro Cop's performances inside the Octagon have been feeble.

Back-to-back losses against Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo saw his first stint in the organisation end abruptly.

He moved to Japan's DREAM outfit and scored victories over Tatsuya Mizuno and Hong Man Choi before returning to the Octagon at UFC 99 with a win over Britain's Mostapha Al-Turk.

But those successes were against opponents generally perceived as being far weaker than Cro Cop.

And that was underlined against Dos Santos on Saturday, with the Croat looking nervous and tentative, allowing the young Brazilian to take control of the fight and ultimately end his career.

Filipovic added: "That was not the kind of performance the public pay for. I don't feel the hunger anymore.

"I have started playing it safe, I'm not prepared to take risks. [Dos Santos] is younger, more hungry, more aggressive. He wanted to win a lot more."

Source - The Sun

It's a damn shame to see such an amazing fighter, after everything he achieved in PRIDE, go down like he has. But alas after failing to impress in the UFC on both attempts, his retirement was inevitable.

The question on everyone's lips however is, once Fedor comes to the UFC (If...?) will he suffer the same fate? Is this the very reason Fedor seems to be dodging the UFC? Using the M-1 Co-Promotion reason as a good albeit coincidental excuse?

[Rappy Veteran]

Fedor will look at Cro Cop as a good reason not to come to the UFC but if he really wants to be known as the best he will have to one day face the best which are clearly in the UFC