March 15. 2008 07:08

Cro cop is not the same since Gonzaga KO'd him. It's sad, he's very tentative now. I wish the old cro-cop would show up... He covered up every time Mizuno even flinched.

Oz Mafioso

March 15. 2008 09:30

He'll be fine if he stays in a ring. I believe that wasn't the first time he had been ko'ed.

Bstalf21

March 15. 2008 09:33

Cro Cop is backk...nice warm up fight to get back on the winning side ...HE'LL BE BACK TO DOMINATE THE UFC

Rob Whiskey

March 15. 2008 21:38

Cro Cop is NOT back.

That was a terrible performance by Mirko. I know, I know, he TKO'ed the guy in :56, but he didn't even deserve to be in the ring with Mirko. Mirko looked slow, tentative and reserved in this fight. He was standing back and covering up instead of using his normal stick-and-move strategy in the old Pride days.

To me, he really doesn't even look like he wants to fight. I was seriously underwhelmed by this fight, and expected Mirko to come out with something to prove.

And you're correct, it's not the first time Mirko has been KO'ed. He was KO'ed by Randleman in Pride, TKO'ed by Ernetso Hoost early in his K-1 days, and was also TKO'ed by Michael McDonald. The difference is, in all of his return fights, he has come back with something to prove. Being aggressive, utilizing his excellent reflexes, and stalking his opponent until he was ready to unload.

In this fight, he let his opponent control the ring, and simply covered up when he threw stikres. Normally, Mirko is moving around, circling when his opponent throws, and looking to counter punch.

This is not the Mirko we know and love, and I hope in his next DREAM fight he gets someone with a little more skill and someone that can test him a little more.

And, I don't want you guys to think I hate Mirko, because I don't. He's one of my favorite fighters, but tonight, I don't kno if it was because of the level of competition or what, but he didn't look like the Mirko of old. I hope he returns to the Mirko of old because that is the Mirko that is arguably the #2 or #3 heavyweight in the world.

J Schmitt