How GOOD was Mirko Cro Cop Actually?

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How GOOD was Mirko Cro Cop Actually?
Mirko Cro Cop has had one of the most legendary runs in MMA. The man who became the face of Pride FC was famous for his striking, most notably his powerful kicks. But as much success as he found in Pride, he unable to find that in the UFC. So how good was Mirko Cro Cop actually?
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[@jakubkrivanek3112]

The best thing about Mirko was that he never played dirty, never talked trash and always retained sportmanship and some polite respect to his oponents.

[@HajimeNoJMo]

I’ve heard a lot of good stories about him. I heard he was a prankster and has an awesome sense of humor from people who have met him. I remember when he punked Mauro Renallo. If I were him, I’d have shit my pants, too.

[@vietnowsoldo]

It goes to that old school mentality,treat someone with respect and dignity,and you will leave after the fight with some. You can't see that any more. He was actually for a while in Croatian Sabor( Senat I guess??) as representative. There is also a video on him,where he stood up in defence of Minotauro,after some journalist made some report,where he said some real bad things about him. Don't know if there is a video with translation,but Mirko went balistic,all red in face and stuff. True sportmanship,in our country he is already a ''myth". Rest of the world is ok with a ''legend''.

[@michalkrasa9577]

exactly, a true gladiator of our time.. I really hate what UFC have become, trashtalking pile of sh*t being there just to make more and more money on stupid people.. this was the greatest age of MMA never to return :/ Mirko was about to take a fight with our (czech) striker "Denisa" Prochazka, a rising star carrying the same spirit into his fights and I was really looking forward for it just to see a great clean respectfull fight again, sadly Mirko retired.. nevertheless I respect the man and it was a smart decision to not risk his health, he will always be a legend, a warrior

[@mirba6933]

He's not for nothing from Croatia. Cro Cop, had Almost all ways, bigger oponent's. Jes i am on his Side, becose his hero in Croatia untill this Days.

[@gorankrznar89]

That's why the fight Mirko vs. Fedor was the peak of MMA imo. 2 great fighters with great sportmanship behavior.

[@youtubetrollking1880]

"Wanderlei looked like he wanted to kill someone. Crocop looked like he just did." Credit to some random KZbin commenter.

[@nameisjeff1731]

Someone said that in a vid years ago bro haha

[@goranmekota7540]

Wasn't that in a Rogan video? He always mythologies a bit too much, teen/frat talk. Including his assumptions Mirko killed a lot of people in his previous police job, cmon.

[@almightyfonics]

Goran Mekota 😐

[@kingsdream7876]

@@goranmekota7540 nope.

[@goranmekota7540]

@Kenba Mamba He did say that in a video, but whether it started there or was he copying someone else is the question.

[@Silentsword184]

He always fought as a underweight heavyweight though. He himself said that he could've cut to 185 if he wanted to and sometimes he was weighing 220 and didn't want to cut that extra 15 pounds for 205 category cause he wanted to fight at his real weight class and not cut weight and gain most of it on fight day. A true legend and a warrior of the sport.

[@TheElite1102]

When he fought against Wanderlei, surprisingly Cro Cop wasn't the heaviest of the two

[@randombalkaner4363]

​@@TheElite1102Pre usada/Pre Cro Cop and Hendo losses Wanderlei was one of the scariest humans ever.

[@nikola7148]

What people don't take into account is that Mirko had incredibly mileage before he first stepped into the octagon at UFC 67. He had 56 fights in Amateur Boxing, 23 fights in Kickboxing and 27 MMA fights. 106 in span of 10 year. In 2004 alone he fought 8 times. Mirko's best years were from 2001 to 2006. Cain Velasquez had shit ton of injuries after only 14 fights, so it isn't far fetched to believe that Mirko was hampered by injuries (see how he twisted his ankle and knee against Gonzaga). Even in retirement he said that his knees are so bad that he cannot run anymore.

[@travelreview5962]

I nominate this for best comment in the KZbin open weight grand prix.

[@Oscar-pm9bx]

Paul Bee could be aswell, depends if you say Jan first ti Jan first, or from The Day he fought The first time in 2001 to The same date in 2002, ygm?

[@Sirrazorbladez]

chris jackso lol yup

[@jasongriffin1517]

Mirko is another breed of fighter. He'd fight anyone, anytime, even if he was hurt. Fearless, ruthless, and vicious.

[@kingsdream7876]

@Paul Bee Mirko K1 fight took its toll!

[@madhatter477]

Opponent "oh I'll block his head kick" Opponent wakes up in hospital "what happened?"

[@itsyaboyboly1835]

Some of them never did.

[@imikegaming2070]

these Dbz characters are getting to strong lol

[@AiVirtualBot]

exacly that happened in Japanese WWE kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXi6eIuirZmkqJo they trained night before how to block head ,,but when wrestling started the guy didnt cover his head ,,and he end up in hospital ahahhahahha

[@yawayawa946]

Opponent's coach: He kicked through your guard.

[@elitenoob1]

Gonzaga to mirko or?

[@Guccimane061]

if you're looking for an inspiration, its right here. he faught them all, never talked shit, always showed respect. best kicks in the game, a true legend

[@Hthegoat]

No..wrong

[@michaelhowe8674]

Hthegoat mate you’re just stupid.

[@5Cdarkwing]

@@michaelhowe8674 you're an idiot

[@phatxity9948]

@@5Cdarkwing you are

[@michaelhowe8674]

5Cdarkwing you’re an ignorant little twat

[@cizma27]

Satoshi Ishii now lives in Zagreb and trains together with Mirko ever since.

[@DonSolaris]

Bonus: Satoshi now eats for free. Every day he goes to eat dinner at Cro Cop's place since they are neighbors. :)

[@posle.j.nema.k]

Ishi will work as "bauštelac" when hi skip again the day off

[@Keke-ze4pl]

jebote majko hahahahah

[@WhispersOfWind]

most honorable

[@powderskier5547]

Thats great, would rather have Japanese living in Croatia than chinese

[@eifelitorn]

"In his FOURTH fight he fought Wanderlei Silva" dam, the competition was tough back in the days.

[@josephjohnsons8652]

If the highlight fight in ones career is Fedor Once (wouldnt fight him again) and Wanderlai silva, we need to re m-think what a GOAT is lol

[@Darko_CC]

@@josephjohnsons8652 fighting Fedor and Wanderlei back then was like fighting Anderson and GSP 10 years ago, or fighting Khabib and Jones now.

[@AlanGonzalez-ev6ur]

@@josephjohnsons8652 fedor is one of the goats wanderlei is like top 10 goat

[@nathanielhernandez8787]

@@AlanGonzalez-ev6ur I think he deserves to be higher like top 5 bro he fought mirko while being hella outweighed he was a middleweight I believe fighting a heavyweight, thats fucking nuts and that isn't all either he fought Mark hunt when that dude was sleeping people like it was his calling in life🤣🤣

[@hoagielamp6543]

@@nathanielhernandez8787 Vandy over the other Silva? Tough call. Vanderlei fought in more promotions but Anderson had a better career.

[@agrooartemyz8665]

I am from Croatia and I can tell you, he still train like a pro. He is still in the Fighting mood and we love him like a brother.

[@MidKnighToker]

Very nice, people say that Fedor is the goat But i believe Crocop is. His fight record says it all. He consistently fought and won aginst better Opponents. WAR MIRKO!

[@dm2112nml]

It's just like that! A hero to us!On of nearly 4.5million Croats and one of the greatest ever that fought! Thanks Mirko for everything, for motivating us, believing in ourselves and making the world and your truly loving nation proud for having you! Stay healthy brother, we will still love for all time! Blessings for you and your family❤️

[@HABO2210]

kinda dangerous given that he recently recovered from a stroke. But you live like a fighter and you die like one

[@orgiliinh]

love from Mongolia too

[@fernandoparada7150]

Where could I meet him? , man I wish I can take a picture with this legend.

[@FetalJuice88]

Long story short he murdered every Japanese man he ever saw

[@josephjohnsons8652]

Not hard to do

[@defaultset]

He would've been a good soldier in ww2 in the eastern front

[@kalyangurung1147]

Japanese are not good in mma.

[@Sam-ht4og]

Not really But Japanese are generally shorter than the rest of the world. Not many Japanese is big enough to be heavy weight so it is rare to find a high level fighter in cro cop's division

[@prudniksthumb3781]

@@defaultset dog you play too many video games. Strength doesn’t help with guns. He’d be an easy target

[@brandonbrown1284]

this man is a true warrior.

[@amosvibro7424]

where in this video did you see andy wang?

[@BrankoCikaticCroatianTiger]

Fun fact, Mirko and Satoshi Ishi became friends. They still train together as Ishi is now a Croatian citizen 🇭🇷 🇯🇵

[@n1te]

Wanderlei's kids: "daddy, what does this tattoo on your ribs mean?" Wanderlei: "..."

[@ivanjelenic5627]

lol

[@grumlygrumeau2564]

Ni7e 😭

[@scarzandy436]

He was never the same after the nose surgery

[@terskatti4994]

very lame

[@Pitera2140]

Good one

[@Skweazle]

One of Mirkos most bad ass moments was his stare down with Wanderlei. Normally Wanderlei was the one intimidating his opponent and Mirko looked at him like he was a snack.

[@PaizuriKing_]

The interview about that fight, I believe Cro Cop said he wasn’t a fan of Wanderlei as a person but he was a fan of Wanderlei as a fighter.

[@danielkinn782]

That's because noone had a scarier staredown than Cro Cop. He was also a special forces guy. This guy was seriously a terrifying man.

[@travelreview5962]

@@danielkinn782 Fedor had a pretty good stare down as well.

[@travelreview5962]

Someone else said..."Wanderlei looks like he wants to kill someone, but Cro Cop looks like he just did." Best way to put it imo.

[@Skweazle]

@@travelreview5962 He did indeed. Not in a normal type of way though. He always looked like he just woke up from a nap and didn't give a shit if he died lol

[@TorontoBoi]

Both Mirko and Fedor were pure champions and legends of the MMA. They had the power, prestige and CLASS. They fought new opponents nearly every two MONTHS, whereas UFC fighters fight on average, twice a year. Much respect to CroCrop, as he is one of the best in this sport.

[@jokerjolly5873]

K1

[@anaheimswillyg2238]

Facts

[@Eldrich4291]

People: so how many times did you bounce back? Cro Cop: yes

[@MrRemixV3]

Mental toughness at its finest. Guy didn't know how to quit.

[@pavopija]

never lost a rematch

[@Chopper51138]

pavopija He beat Mark Hunt in K1 and then lost to him in a close fight at pride. If you count that.

[@pavopija]

@@Chopper51138 okay he didnt lost a rematch of a fight he lost

[@matheusteku]

Perfect!

[@travelreview5962]

"Cro Cop" is actually a nick name from his time as a Croatian cop where he served on an elite police special forces specializing in anti terrorism. I love Jorge Masvidal but give this guy the BMF belt. 👍🙏

[@kristijanmehun2382]

As a croatian and a Masvidal fan, I approve this comment :D

[@travelreview5962]

@@kristijanmehun2382 Haha, hell yeah!

[@MJZanc]

I almost feel bad for the criminals who had Mirko coming for them

[@randallflagg3700]

@@MJZanc - the criminals? You should feel bad for Crocop's friends ^^ when Fabricio Werdum left Brazil to go train at the "Crocop Squad Team", Mirko had his special force buddies arrest him (Werdum), put a bag on his head on take him for a ride... After the prank was over and Werdum, who thought he had almost gotten killed, was released, Mirko pretended like it was just a normal day in Croatia, and didn't tell him that 1) it was a joke 2) that he was the mastermind until like 10 years later. Good times...

[@Ducky-vl7mp]

@@randallflagg3700 lmao source?

[@Cloud21283]

People always talk about Mirkos head kicks but I always loved that liver kick. He hit them so hard that their body didnt even know how to register the pain at first. Legend!

[@thejuiceman1190]

sets up the head kicks

[@terowilenius4212]

I remember some old interview where one of his opponents said that it was hard to read where he was trying to kick. He was too fast and didn't telegraph much. He might head hunt you for a while and then suddenly go for a liver shot. Or kick your legs and midsection and then when you're anxious to protect those areas he goes for your head. I think something like that happened to Vovchanchyn.

[@cloneboy28]

In my country, the Netherlands, Mirko is mostly known for his kickboxing career. I remember when I was a child and watched K1 with my dad and whenever Mirko had to fight one of our Dutch fighters we always knew it was going to be a spectacular fight. Much respect to Mirko and our brothers in Croatia!

[@jeltako1567]

Love from Croatia man , Mirko really is a spectacular fighter and coach to this day .truly a legend

[@postpunk6947]

Ayyy men, Ramon Dekkers was fuckin pro. He was from your beautiful country. Rest in Peace.

[@popaybugi9443]

Branko Cikatic was specialist for Dutch fighter

[@thehaguen.7814]

Zelfde man! Wat een tijden waren dat zeg.. 😩

[@BranquiloYT]

@@popaybugi9443 almost my name

[@redknight4805]

One thing to consider is that he never lost a rematch in MMA and was actively hunting down every guy he lost to until the stroke - avenging most of his losses. Furhermore, most of his losses were due to deciding to fight injured and after slowing down. His fighting style drastically changed since he started slowing down. No longer being able to rely on his high kicks, he found success in his powerful left punch and elbows as well as ground and pound. He was also a master in defense, being able to avoid getting seriously hurt on the ground - even when in weaker position. I also disagree that his competition was not as good in later years. Ok, there were some lesser known fighters there, but Gonzaga and Roy Nelson are no slouches. I'm pretty confident he would beat Fedor in a rematch, unfortunately his stroke prevented us from seeing that fight. Yes, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time no doubt and a bit underrated due to ups and downs in his career.

[@AnteGV1950]

his down was just UFC..i know UFC is the best organization now and everything..but if he came few years earlier, he would destroy all of them...age got to him, like everyone..but i watched his every fight, and i love that guy...i like Stipe too, he has Croatian blood, but Cro Cop is Croatian, born and raised here...makes me sad hat years catch up these guys..i would love to watch them forever...not just him, but JDS, Fedor, Big Nog, and a lot of old school fighters...today is everything in USA...not that i mind, but that was one thing that USA couldn't compete with..until PRIDE didn't collapse, UFC was nothing comparing to them...today you have UFC, Bellator and that fucking KSW, where you don't know who is more juiced...KSW is big European promotion, but it's just UFC in beginning...nobody was controlling nobody...the juicier the better...i just wish WADA, or EUADA if exists start knocking on their doors...101% guys would be kicked out...Roberto Soldić could never fight in UFC...to many steroids are in KSW, and i don't understand why nobody id doing nothing about it

[@BlingBoyOto]

Honestly Cro Cop without injuries would have beaten everyone in UFC back in early 2000's to 2006 except for Fedor who is a bad matchup for him due to styles.

[@treng9349]

That rematch with Gonzaga was brutal. Gonzaga's face looked as if it had been chopped with an axe

[@krugerstan]

he sucked tho

[@plisskennn]

He was great until the UFC. After Gonzaga took his soul he was never the same. He lost fights to any significant opponent, and he beat up a few cans in Japan. He would be considered one of the best if he retired before his UFC career.

[@roverroko306]

Being Croatian I can tell you, when Mirko was in his prime I was about 16 to 19. War was raging in our country. He was a hero to all angry Croatian youth. And he was the best at that time. But way better than opposition, cause of his fury.

[@Maestro-le8gh]

Mirko was in his prime in 2003-2006 and war ended in 1995.

[@kumar7586]

@@Maestro-le8gh That's right!

[@elitenoob1]

@@Maestro-le8gh this guy is croatian that survived the war.... let him be... his ego is out of the charts. Sadly im croatian too but thankfully im not brainwashed by war

[@sinisaplantak3074]

Im from croatia so I respect Mirko like a pro fighter...alsso i am war veteran retired bicos ptsd...for civilians war was over on 1995...for mi? i dont knove....nightmears every night...sorry if mi brain was washed to....

[@roverroko306]

@@Maestro-le8gh Mirko was a legend in Croatia way before he started his global career man. And that was just about towards the end of the war

[@johnc.8298]

When you think "head kicks", Mirko is who comes to mind. He is the icon of this technique.

[@yugen]

The way he launched his leg was wrought with power. Definitely not a classic Muay Thai style kick, it was his own unique form and it was built for power from the ground up. Absolutely devastating.

[@odyseuszkoskiniotis6266]

Joe Rogan approves

[@sandychristie9712]

This video in a nutshell: "And then he knocked him out with a left kick"

[@AlexO-sx6ff]

He's a living legend, he constantly fought against the best competition.

[@josephjohnsons8652]

Lol... No. He fought ok fighters in Japan and got his ass beat in the UFC, Did he fight great competition? Sure, Did he ever beat them? No

[@YNWestiiizy]

@@josephjohnsons8652 He never said he beat the best competition. He literally said he fought against the best, fucking loser

[@cobaneazy3079]

@@josephjohnsons8652 calm yo tits bitch 🇭🇷

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

@@josephjohnsons8652 you're so bitter

[@kinidiosodlosios6892]

@@josephjohnsons8652 pride was top organization when he was in his prime in UFC he was already too old

[@jufrabappa]

A monster on the ring, a gentleman outside of it.. my favorite fighter of all time...

[@riotrecker8978]

Best ever quote for a mma fighter “right leg hospital left leg cemetery “

[@javalavadingdong]

Jesus, the amount these old guys fought was insane... Fast forward to today's champions who fight once maybe twice every year or two 🤦‍♂️

[@americantopteam135s-t7]

Oh, yeah. What a fucking face palm, eh? Would you rather see them go out dead on their shield like ancient Rome? You don't care about the sport, get out.

[@mercster]

Which is better for the fighters. There are more fighters now, so we can space out our entertainment. Guys don't need to demolish themselves anymore... they're humans afterall.

[@Gingie.gingerson]

@@americantopteam135s-t7 my guy makes a factual statement so you attack with venom. Reasonable!

[@americantopteam135s-t7]

@@Gingie.gingerson you two would make a beautiful couple

[@nemanjap8768]

@@americantopteam135s-t7 it's a stupid sport anyway, it should be forbidden

[@hyyper9]

Cro Cop is easily in the GOAT tier of greatest fighters. His resume speaks for itself over 20+ years of fighting.

[@cortomaltese7171]

lol

[@privatniprofil5762]

Corto Maltese lol what? dude is in top 20 fighters that ever lived easy

[@cortomaltese7171]

@@privatniprofil5762 Is he one of greatest heavyweight fighters in history? NO. Is he one of the pioneers of the sport? YES. He is top 20, somewhere between 15 and 20. This is list of better heavyweights then him Fedor , DC, Miocic, Velasquez, Werdum, Minotauro, Overeem, Dos Santos, Couture, Mir, Hunt, Arlovski, Sylvia, Silva, Bader, Kongo,.. Fill up the list.

[@cortomaltese7171]

@@privatniprofil5762 This is my post which I left below before couple of days. So what I said different then you? Only if you don't know difference between GOAT and Top 20..

[@privatniprofil5762]

Corto Maltese CroCop is better than minotauto, miocic and DC

[@kresimircosic9035]

Mirko's only 'weakness' was his good nature. You can see that throughout the years he was getting better and better, despite being one of the lightest in the weight class. Hall of fame, no brainer.

[@dingfeldersmurfalot4560]

It was great seeing a dominant striker in the days when it seemed nobody could say anything good about anything that wasn't Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

[@RazgrizStraitz]

Mark Hunt, Shane Carwin, Bobby Lashley, and Bob Sapp would like a word with you.

[@dingfeldersmurfalot4560]

@@RazgrizStraitz None of them had the dominance, to me, that CroCop did. It's always been obvious that saying striking is no big deal or even worthless is ridiculous, but it's hard to prove it better than "right leg hospital, left leg cemetary" anti-terrorist, stare your intimidation right in the face without even the flicker of concern CroCop. Head kicks weren't even remotely the most feared thing in a striker's arsenal, and he wasn't even all that flexible, but he made the striker's case so clearly that it brought a whole realm of combat back out from under the carpet it had been swept under in a dramatic way. I'm not saying those other guys didn't have their charms.

[@joeswanson5486]

@@RazgrizStraitzthere striking isn’t as good as Cain stipe or overeem though

[@slicksilver9441]

Co-Crop is a Legend of the sport

[@ewan80]

Co-crop? Is that some kind of farmer association?

[@CipherSerpico]

Ewan Flean lmfao

[@ivanhorvat5738]

@@ewan80 just step in a ring with him and you will be tamed by this farmer pretty quickly.

[@ewan80]

@@ivanhorvat5738 whooosh

[@PP-xj7vg]

@@ewan80 Lmao'd... They really do butcher his nickname on the internet.

[@kingcroatia]

Mirko vs fedor best fight ever in mma history!!!!!

[@viniciuspaiva3889]

Fedor vs randleman is epic too.

[@viniciuspaiva3889]

@Magnum Mountaineer what about that suplex? Fedor can't be human to survive that takedown hahaha

[@viniciuspaiva3889]

@Magnum Mountaineer Pride was much better. I think that's because all kinds of fighters were accepted on Pride, and people came from a more varied martial background, today is only this MT+BJJ formula, few are the exception.

[@MidKnighToker]

it was a great, i mean great fight but there were better fights that took place in pride back then. not to even mention the rest of time since now and then. its been surpassed more than once

[@MidKnighToker]

like if your talking sheer excitement and hype for the fight? maybe then yeah i would agree But as far as the ringwork and technical skill shown? 100% not. and imo there were way to many impressive fights that took place in japan. Even little remembered and less well know fighters put on amazing shows back then. Minowa man, Akira shoji, Enson. just to name acouple. The entire Bushido series.. all amazing I couldnt even get started on the big names, ther list is too long its just hard for me to agree that Fedor vs Crocop was the best ever in pride. to many legendary fights.

[@TheDa6781]

This is just his MMA fights. Should have included his other fights. vs Hoost, Bob Sapp and many other interesting high level fights and achievements (K-1).

[@FikiBubamara]

For me he is one of the best fighters because he never played dirty and didn't drop weight

[@Cdawgone1]

True warrior without trash talk, tattoo, alcohol etc. UFC wasnt for him, he is not that kind od fighter. In UFC is too much drama, what he doesn’t like.

[@stevewillis1916]

No he was just too old. He would have dominated if he had come to the ufc earlier

[@Cdawgone1]

Quentin Miles maybe. But later he won a tournament after UFC. He also said that he never feel good in cage.

[@gabrielibrahmbreivikrobich3956]

You want ufc turn out a fucking paramilimutation cant handle guns

[@oppa6344]

what?! UFC fighters with tattoos looking like toilet wall of abandoned buildings they are highly sophisticated ppl

[@gabrielibrahmbreivikrobich3956]

@@oppa6344 shut up.. you ll constipation

[@914Rocky]

His left high kick was one of the most lethal weapons in MMA history.

[@johndou7283]

Mirko Crocop was a tournament warrior, it means he did at least three fight in 1 day. Not once in a year.

[@wolfcreek8638]

Yep that's true, actually small amount of people's know that Fact... These days fighters are soft... I miss so much Pride an savage fighters...

[@GranDaddo]

3:35 imagine today HW fighting 8 times in a year. That is what today's MMA fans can't comprehend. These guys at that time fought the best + everything that the organisation could throw at them. Today guys are immediately trained to be multidisciplinary, so yes, fighters were "one dimensional" but that also brought more to the fans. Fighters would have more character than Connor has in his life. Here it is also not mentioned his K1 fights (vs Bob Sapp, wining K1 tournament) + a lot of amateur boxing and kickboxing fights. He had more fights under his belt than probably whole HW roster in UFC today (Overeem is only one with similar longevity).

[@lennidk1013]

Amen to that!

[@dannyhipolito817]

Remember when UFC fighters would travel to Japan (specifically Pancrase or RINGS) on their off days and fighting in one night tournaments? Good times

[@bulilittv5064]

Brawo ! Finally Someone understands

[@chuckm.5032]

Imagine fighting 3 times in 1 night!!

[@robertoprestigiacomo253]

But Overeem did doping

[@rafaelalamilla5583]

I grew up watching his fights on KZbin. He has inspired me so much and will always have a special place in my heart. He definitely is one of the best to ever do it.

[@whyzul]

Champion

[@BO55N355]

He fought heavyweight at 225 for a lot of his career and did quite well. That's eternal respect from me.

[@lilbumb2495]

This video in a nutshell : "He landed a left high kick"

[@olmadepov]

how good?? he is up there with GOAT Fedor in heavyweight.. dont forget ..in their prime.. UFC never had a proper Heavy Weight division

[@cortomaltese7171]

lol

[@michaelhowe8674]

Mirko is definitely my favourite heavyweight of all time. His skill and precision is just phenomenal. He should be in the ufc hall of fame.

[@josephjohnsons8652]

for what? What did he do in the UFC that would warrant that? get his ass beat?

[@kylecalobtraceharper]

@@josephjohnsons8652 people who were great in pride should be able to get into the ufc hall of fame since they purchased pride imo.

[@defaultset]

@@kylecalobtraceharper Agreed, if sakuraba can be in there why not throw in cro cop?

[@kylecalobtraceharper]

@@defaultset my point exactly but some people would argue that saku won the ufc japan tournament lol

[@kylecalobtraceharper]

@Andy H mirko had alot of miles by the time he came to the ufc 109 total fights including his amateur boxing and kickboxing career. Sakuraba is in the ufc hall of fame for 1 win. Fighters who did well in pride should he eligible for the ufc hall of fame since they bought them out.

[@scottmartin8888]

10:05 as a man, that was really uncomfortable to hear. I'm glad I found more about this guy's career. Even if it was because Joe Rogan mentioned him 😆

[@fknclarky]

Got me all emotional. The man who made me obsessed with the sport in 2004. What an exemplary career and a man who taught us many lessons about perseverance, adaptation, stoicism, honor, respect, and commitment. Wild Boys! Wild Boys!

[@JP-zl9ge]

Short answer: Pretty damn good.

[@derzocker9428]

Overrated

[@bradbiesinger8054]

@@derzocker9428 how

[@theseeker7692]

@@derzocker9428 I thought the same, but this video put things in perspective

[@YouAintGotNoTegridyBoi]

@@derzocker9428 how's he overrated? Brilliant kickboxer, was a top level amateur boxer having 31 KOs out of 56 fights in the amateurs which is very hard.

[@derzocker9428]

@@bradbiesinger8054 He lost to Brendan Schaub LOL

[@brucebrandy9433]

He was, actually, one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. Definitely one of the GOAT's at head & liver kicks. That left leg was jaw-dropping (pun intended) excitement.

[@DBZSeanzie]

Cro Cop was amazingly talented, and fun to watch. A class act in and out of the ring. Most of his losses were due to low blow, cheaters, injuries, or flukes. He even avenged some losses.

[@dopacshorts2]

He avenged 10 out of 11. 😁

[@DBZSeanzie]

Domi Paci the sign of a great fighter

[@Malaestro]

@@dopacshorts2 He didn't beat Santos, Schaub, OR Fedor, so that's at least three losses he never avenged... not sure where you get your figures from

[@dopacshorts2]

@@Malaestro I counted his draws as a loses, he just didng fought those 3 and thats it.

[@jasv49]

There is no top 5 HWs of all time list that doesn't include Cro Cop

[@generalkayoss7347]

Definitely top 10. Top 5 is debatable. Probably the best striker of all time though.

[@ronki23]

1. Miocic , 2. Cormier, 3. Werdum, 4. Fedor , 5. Ngannou, 6. Overeem, 7. Cain, 8. JDS, 9. Noguiera, 10. Mirko

[@Shiljamannn]

@@ronki23 1.Fedor 2.Miocic 3.Cain 4.Cormier 5.Werdum 6.Noguiera 7.Mirko 8.JDS 9.Ngannou 10.Overeem

[@ronki23]

Shiljamannn Werdum has a better resume than Cain and beat Cain, JDS has a better resume than Cro Cop

[@americano7456]

It would have been great to see Cro Cop in the UFC in his prime and in prime shape.

[@Skjutabless]

Don’t mind me, I’m hammered drunk on Boxing Day getting ready to go to a local dance. For some reason I found myself re watching Cro cop videos.. you inspired me so much as a kid and lead to me joining taekwondo than eventually kickboxing and Muay Thai. Thank you for unknowingly inspiring a pretty basic canadian kid and gaining so many life lessons because of it. puno poštovanja!

[@mmacaine]

This is actually a beautiful comment.

[@lycagon5011]

This man fought wars in the ring with the best of the best of his era. Like Feodor, he beguns to be defeated LONG after he passed his prime. For me, he will be always in top 5.

[@emmiification]

Victor Manescu who are your other top 4 ?

[@ivanerceg3660]

I agre

And don't forget about his amazing kickboxing career. He was really killing it at K1!

[@matejsb9069]

He's 49 years old....he is legend and member of first fighters generation....one of first

[@jasongriffin1517]

Mirko is my favorite fighter ever. I love his aggressive striking and fearless attitude. I believe he could've beaten anyone.

[@ofon2000]

Conor would beat him

[@tonynemcich1756]

@@ofon2000 haha yer sure he would you talking two different weights were Cro cop being heavy weight was just as agile as Coner at the same age ,Marko would have destroyed Coner.

[@centralintelligenceagency3838]

He was good but not that good. In K1 he lost 3 out of 3 vs Hoost

[@AmigooX23]

@@centralintelligenceagency3838 Hoost was bad match for him style wise..tho I have to agree with you even tho he is my countryman and I love him, he was well above average but not the no1

[@centralintelligenceagency3838]

@@AmigooX23 He was well above average indeed and i like him alot as fighter. He never backs down and always goes all out. I very much respect Mirko as a fighter

[@The_establishment72]

My favourite fighter ever “right leg hospital, left leg cemetery”

[@tropingreenhorn]

Holy cow just look at all the people Cro Cop fought in his career, absolutely insane. And the injuries and punishment he took over the years, and the length of his career.

[@CatChartreux]

Where's the fight vs. Bob Sapp? That was legendary.

[@darj617]

That was in K-1, this was about his MMA career.

[@RazgrizStraitz]

@Nemo then you didn't really follow his career. he was a monster in the first 4 years of his career. everyone was terrified of him. he admitted to throwing fights after that because the Yakuza according to his brother Warren were threatening to kill him. This was the result of him walking out of a fight he was the main event of because Pride refused to show him the contract and were trying to make him fight without a contract. Regardless he retired with $10 million to his name which is almost double what Mirko is worth. Mirko is the better fighter, but apparently Bob Sapp one of the smartest fighters/men and best entertainers since he retired with 10 million and a fraction of the permanent injuries most fighters have. Nothing but respect for Big Bob Sapp. He made the best of a bad situation.

[@5Cdarkwing]

@@RazgrizStraitz you're crazy ! Sapp hade zero skill !

[@JonSmith-cx7gr]

His fight with karate legend Andy Hug is also of historical significance I feel.

[@tomislavandrasec5116]

it is weird how it looked for Sapp to fall, but I fought many times and liver shot to me was effective as chin... your whole body shots down after liver trauma, although the brain doesn't... 1st time I delivered a punch to the liver I thought I killed my opponent... he just retired to the floor and blankly stared in the distance.

[@ivanskope5307]

Branko Cikatic passed away yesterday,he was before him.Love them both

[@oreocarlton3343]

He passed away!!!????

[@ivanskope5307]

Only 66

[@mihajlonovakovic3698]

Both warriors

[@ivanvard6129]

Mirko was not in the same league as Branko.

[@GT-yc5vv]

Nije valjda? Pokoj mu dusi! Kako je ciktaic tuko,jedini covek koji je husta dva puta nokautiro,u dva meca! Pozdrav iz srbije!

[@yugen]

6:16 August of 2005. I watched this fight on my lunch break. Unforgettable moment, Fedor and Crocop were absolute legends in this era. My dream was to fight in Pride. Thankfully I got to see a Pride event live when it came to the US in 2006. When Pride went under, I lost a lot of my motivation to compete in MMA. Crocop is an absolute legend, I hope he's well.

[@nhanNguyen-wo8fy]

"How GOOD was Mirko Cro Cop Actually?" Why on earth people ask that question?????? =)))))))

[@yugen]

I think because a lot of people saw him come into the UFC and underperform, they just assume he wasn't that good when in reality, he was one of the absolute legends of combat sports and for good reason.

[@tpdgaming894]

Well, as a Croatian, all I can say is that he isn't even near to the Goat titlr He was pretty bad in the UFC versus any half-good opponents He just had a nice style of fighting and epic High kicks He also had ZERO ground fight I like him, but he isn't on the Fjodor, GSP or stipe miocic level

[@boonec1163]

I always found it neat that the guy with the scariest kicks broke a ton of faces just with his straight

[@leolynch6663]

I was listening to this driving on my way home from work. Cro is my favorite fighter of all time. I got into martial arts around 2003 and man was this dude just so beyond everyone else. I literally stopped my Jeep to write this. Definitely giving a like and a sub. Great video bro!

[@edderz101]

He is such a legend, hes the reason I really got into MMA. I watched a lot of Joe Rogans podcast and when they would talk MMA I used to tune out a little until they played the staredown between him and Silva. After that I watched every fight of his I could, then I was hooked on MMA.

[@Seki1987]

A true legend and i am proud to be his fellow countryman. I do not like today's fighters, they only know how to talk shit.

[@zulfikaregzikutor5561]

Mirko simply the legend, he just came too late in the UFC. You got to love those soccer kicks haha forza Mirco, forza Croatia..

[@goldengold8568]

10:06 "testicles logged into his body" Poor Cro Cop.

[@gulinp1]

right leg hospital left leg cemetery He arived in PRIDE with incredible amount of fights behind him, he fought more fights before UFC than today's heavyweights fight in span of their career. Guy was ironman but it took tool on his body. Anyway , one of all time greates.

[@grumlygrumeau2564]

Mirko is just at the top of the hall of fame. That is how good he is.

[@josephjohnsons8652]

not a shot in hell is the GOAT of GOATs

[@sugarrfree]

@@josephjohnsons8652 u must have a sad life, wasted your time just to reply to everyone here that Mirko is not the Goat. Get a life pal

[@bobbysmith9881]

In his prime top 5 heavyweight of all time!

[@samerrihani3051]

Love what you're doing with the channel dude! Your commentary is straightforward and enjoyable, would also love to see more current fighters like Francis Ngannou, but awesome as always bro :)

[@travelreview5962]

Im with you but you can't do someone like Francis yet. He needs more fights before anyone can do a legacy video like this. You can probably do people who are still fighting but they need to be in their mid 30s or somewhere towards the end of their career.

[@samerrihani3051]

@@travelreview5962 Thats a totally fair point tbh, Ngannou has been picking up fantastic momentum but definitely might be too early, would love to see folks like Stipe Miocic who are absolute killers and have still been around awhile

[@johndoe2006]

Cro cop vs fedor is probably the greatest match up of all time

[@gangstaman2069]

You didn't mentioned that he was k-1 wgp 2013 champion. He was 90's k-1 gold era fighter, and he fought all legendary k-1 fighters like: jerome le banner, ernesto hoost, sam greco, andy hug, peter aerts

[@mikedlc9766]

Cro Cop just had too many miles by then especially when he got to UFC

[@lastword8783]

i think the Gonzaga knockout changed him as a fighter. I just dont think he was the same after that knockout. That and injuries and getting used to the octagon reduced his prime years.

[@jyankowsky]

Last Word losses don’t “change” men like cro-cop. Age and injury changed him, he was way past his prime when he got to the UFC.

[@lastword8783]

jyankowsky dont be ridiculous. That was a viscous knockout. Damage from knockouts is real. A brutal knockout can definitely change a career for the worst.

[@drebodollaz3504]

Last Word he beat Gonzaga in the rematch tho.

[@lastword8783]

Drebo Dollaz it was a great win but it didnt undo the damage of the 1st fight.

[@muamerblazevic1837]

Dude... Mark Coleman, Alexander Emelianenko, Kazushi Sakuraba, Waderlei Silva, Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga... Mirko beat all of them. The guy is a beast and with a resume like that paired with the fact he was still fighting in his 40s you can just be in awe of what a war machine this guy really is.

[@GoogleAccount-dq3dk]

And 3 wins against Barnett

[@muamerblazevic1837]

@@GoogleAccount-dq3dk A jest. Uf jeste macola u pm sto bi Vaso rekao 😂

[@nbawinningtips]

Sve same krave,izgubio od istog gonzage,od fedora,od randlemana,od dos santosa,pobijedio gomilu kosookih govana i sad je kao neki borac legenda,aj ne seri zivota ti

[@nbawinningtips]

Izgubio od hunta od minotaura,od overeema

[@muamerblazevic1837]

@@nbawinningtips Ne kazem da je jedan od najboljih mma boraca ikad. Ali ima srca i pobijedio je mnogo dobrih boraca. Of Fedora na odluku izgubio a izgubio od dos Santosa koji je 9 godina mlađi. Eto ti kad budes imao 40 godina probaj sta protiv nekoga ko ima 31 pa mi kazi kako si prosao. Od Hunta izgubio na odluku isto a Overeem ga je u jaja koljenom udarao nekoliko puta. Profesionalni kik bokser ga je koljenom u jaja udario. Pa tebe da dijete u jaja udari pao bi ko vreća krompira. A iskreno da se borio u UFC-u mlađi znam sigurno da bi titulu drzao znaci milion posto. Ta noga kad skontas da ide u sljedecem trenutku si na podu. A da je kalibar DC-ja ili Valesqueza to nije oni su obojica se hrvali a to ako ne znas u UFC-u tesko da ces biti prvak. Džiu džicu isto nije znao. Kako ce on sa mlađim kompletnijim mma borcima da se nosi. Covjek je zvijer i to je moje misljenje i postujem ga mnogo a opet svako ima pravo na svoje misljenje 😊.

[@gorancrncic4436]

0:20 WTF MAN One second ago you said he was Pride Champion or (pride grand prix winner Which In fact you are the pride champion ) and The second second 0:26 you say he wasn't the Pride champion can't be grand prix winner without being a champion Wtf and you can't be The best heavyweight in 2006 without being a Pride Champion WTF man! Being a best heavyweight in 2006 and being a Pride Grand prix winner IS Much MORE THAN A BEING OF AN ORDINARY CHAMPION!!!

[@ilikehumans1096]

I’ll never forget the first stare down between Crocop and Wanderlei: ice cold.

[@reallyrandom222]

He was a damn killer outside the cage. Not much more to say besides the head kick KO that could stun those before they even saw it.

[@stipicaradic]

Fake news.

[@stipicaradic]

@@michaels.9894 No

[@stipicaradic]

@@michaels.9894 You couldn't be bothered to read half of the wiki, Zweistein. You you're just a small baby.

[@stipicaradic]

@@michaels.9894 Ok, little german. Don't ever let anybody accuse you of being smart!

[@tomislavjelic7444]

@@michaels.9894 Please tell us in what anti-terrorist actions in Croatia did Cro-Cop or his unit took part in?

[@sean__hally]

I definitely agree with you here, he was a fearless brawler with a surprisingly devastating kick. That stare down with Silva was most impressive and I imagine unsettling! I determine my opinion of a fighter’s career as being “weighed” by the distance between their peak to retirement in proportion to their debut to peak. He had a rough go at it many times but he certainly had a beautiful career overall and is one of my favorites!

[@kinglionheart450]

You also forgot his K1 Grand Prix title

[@TheSagaGemini]

and 1999 final against Ernesto Hoost!

[@TheSagaGemini]

and beating Mark Hunt & Remy Bonyaski after they won K1!

[@snoopy190496]

And Bob Sapp victory :(

[@kariemomran7460]

first of all : amazing video second : how good was miesha tate actually ?

[@tastyburger9260]

Kariem Omran not very.

[@danielkinn782]

She was meh at best. Sexy as all hell...YES. But just a meh in the ring.

[@vietnowsoldo]

She's goood ;)

[@YENKOGT]

This should be tittle "how big was this legend!"

[@stipe_ramo]

I've read somewhere that when he came to the UFC, they offered and advised him to cut down to Lightheavyweight since he was one of the "smaller" heavyweights at 230lbs, and being 6'2". Mirko laughed off that, and said that he won't "cheat" like some fighters do and cut huge amount of weight to gain advantage.

[@kylecalobtraceharper]

I wish he would have dropped down to 205 it wouldve been interesting he couldve made that easily especially early in his career he weighed 218 for the sakuraba fight and I think 212 for the first wand fight I believe he weighed less than 205 in his early k1 days but I may be wrong on that

[@theseeker7692]

In Croatian podcast he said that he considers weight cutting biggest cheating on MMA

[@betterthanyou8618]

He would've been one of the most dominant light heavyweights if he did cut down to light heavyweight

[@danielschulz1751]

A man of honor.. no trash talk just a strait up fighter with the heart of a warrior. There are no more men like this in this generation. For sure..

[@upvotecomment2110]

Suggestion: Ken Flo Bas Rutten Sakuraba Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira (Big Nog) Randy Couture Stephen A

[@ogreface8]

I need that Stephen A video, ASAP

[@davidefenara3283]

Rashad Evans

[@thestoicwhinger]

Bas would be great

[@nomad155]

Sakuraba had a family literally come after him! That's some anime level mess!

[@xams4568]

Igor Vovchanchyn Shogun Shinya Aoki Gina Carano Josh Barnett Dan Henderson

[@pbose698]

Mirco crocrop is a LEGEND his name sent shivers down his opponents। People forget he was also a K1 legend who transitioned to MMA

[@johnsummers9660]

You'll never convince me that Fedor, CroCop and Minitauro aren't the greatest heavy weights ever.

[@chrisreid5766]

Fun fact: Dos caras JR is Alberto Del Rio who recently fought against Tito Ortiz 😂

[@tastyburger9260]

Chris Reid Oh, thanks Chris. I thought that looked like him. How extraordinary.

[@sohncotte2229]

funner fact. dos caras jr admitted to taking money to throw the fight

[@chrisreid5766]

Ocasio-Cortez4prez2022 no shit, its really him lol

[@chrisreid5766]

Merchant of Wokeness not everybody knows that, plus the video does not say it.

[@PP-xj7vg]

@@sohncotte2229 Source

[@4sername]

Please do a ref How bad was Mario Yamasaki actually? Thank you for the free content, Cheers 🍺

[@CipherSerpico]

CatchCanista Actually, I think that’s a good idea.

[@zyrusmatol1259]

That could work,

[@RejectHumanityReturn2Monke]

Not as bad as Steve Mazzagatti though.

[@CipherSerpico]

Neither are as bad as Cecil Peoples. And Peoples’ judging was just as bad as his reffing.

[@JuicyTobacco]

Mario "Finish Him" Yamasaki

[@AmarJusic-xk8nz]

Man trains still to this day, he is almost 45. Looking like a beast

[@thompoz7114]

One of the greatest!

[@jaimeguerrero2729]

Mirkro definitely was a beast fighting the best back in the day he got to avenge losses to wanderlei silva technically was a draw their first fight then he avenged his most devastating loss ever to Gabriel Gonzaga then he avenged loss to Roy Nelson

[@mr.sinjin-smyth]

The East Asian Slayer.... NEVER LOST to a Japanese or Korean Fighter.

[@nbawinningtips]

Hahahahaha like that is some acomplishment

[@anonym2868]

Vidoj Stančilović well then try it big man

[@nbawinningtips]

@@anonym2868 come then

[@kesuya]

Lol, we aren't exactly known for our heavyweights in combat sport

[@MixedBySwiss]

My Croatian background is something I'm super proud of, especially because of guys like stipe and mirko. Our blood is strong

[@PP-xj7vg]

People don't understand that the genetics in croatia and wider are crazy. Stipe in the US, Nikola Karabatić in france and Zlatan Ibrahimović in sweden are no coincidences.

[@GabrielRoguljić]

@Vegeta Dbiop then Đoković is a Croat, right bruh

[@GabrielRoguljić]

@Vegeta Dbiop so what? He chose to be a Croat because his Mother is Croatian and his father was a Croat soldier in Serb agression on Croatia

[@zagrepcanin82]

@Morning Sun Sparkles Dew on fresh grass NO NO AND HELL NO!!!! first of all 110mil ppl around the world have our genes.We are ancient people and one of the oldest in the world. secondly there are no Slavs.That is a lie!!!! Slavs were one small group of people we draged with us across the Europe.If you are refering the "slavs" as what is comonly accepted today they are all croatian tribes hence 110mil. I am researching our history for 17y now and I am speaking the truth based of archeological evidances and historical documents amoung other thing that are proving what I have wrote

[@zagrepcanin82]

@Vegeta Dbiop a svi srbi odmetnuto hrvatsko pleme.Dok ostali priznaju i istrazuju svoje hrvatske korijene vi ste i dalje kreteni.....kako je ono rekao Deretic da je i Isus srbin???? Mogu ti povijesno i lingvisticki objasniti da su srbi najstarije hrvatsko pleme koje se odvojilo od maticnog naroda

[@aazv23]

Excellent video sequence & great narration... Thank you

[@jordangroff8978]

Scariest MMA fighter of all time imo.

[@RazgrizStraitz]

Bob Sapp during Big Nog Fight would like a word.

[@thatbo8902]

It's a close call between him and Aleksander Emelianenko

[@TripleEightss]

Razgriz Straitz bro shut the fuck up youre in all of these comment threads no one gives a fuck about robert sapp bruh😂

[@manuelnavarrette3361]

I don't want to feel like I'm bugging you about this lol but Plleeaassee make a video about how good Dan Henderson was? I can't speak for anyone else but Dan Henderson is my hero and I feel like he deserves a lot more credit than I've ever heard him get

[@ragnar3394]

The H BOMB

[@madamefeast4824]

I like alot of the old legends. Henderson is def up there. A regular sized guy who fought at middleweight, light heavy weight and heavyweight. He was absolutely pound for pound one of the best in MMA during his run

[@travelreview5962]

I'm sure he will get one eventually he's a legend

[@YouAintGotNoTegridyBoi]

@@madamefeast4824 he's the Bob Fitzsimmons/Sam Langford of MMA.

[@frank.l181]

Dan Henderson was a extremely accurate puncher. Tough as Nails!

[@SisuGirl]

I see this came out a bit ago, but I have to tell you that this truly is one of the best fight compilations I’ve ever seen, especially with one of my favourite fighters. You are an incredible talent & it’s obvious you put so much into your research & videos ~So, thank you! Back when I began to watch fighting in the mid-90’s, it was SO DIFFICULT to find any MMA on TV, as it was still considered too brutal for TV. IF I was fortunate. I could find fights at 3am in the US. Whilst stationed in Japan, I was able to watch more & became a huge fan. Cro Cop was a fan favourite. My Navy Buds & I compared him to “Drago” from “Rocky IV”. By the time I came back Stateside, UFC had started taking off & more MMA was televised, garnering an array of fans. I truly think of *MIRKO “CRO CAP” FILIPOVIC* had been born a bit later & began his career 5 years later? He would be listed amongst the elite of the famous/infamous with Gracie, Jones, Silva, Sakuraba, and Hughes/Couture/Liddell. His legs should be registered as lethal weapons. If it’s needed? I suppose I could do a favour for mankind & make attempt after attempt to disarm those bad boys. For The World! ~L~

[@hoxton4832]

Commenting before watching- thanks for this dude ! Cro Cop got me into martial arts when I was young, this was needed !

[@MrDGood84]

Cro Cop was a beast. Legend in the game. Hall of Famer. Respect.

[@JLCruise1]

Cro Cop is my favorite MMA fighter of all time. A true Legend