SHARE
Cro Cop

Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic has stated he is open to a rematch with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, after the inaugural PRIDE heavyweight champion ‘Big Nog’ claimed it is the fight that he seeks before retirement.

Nogueira said in a recent interview: “We will see, I’ll keep going as long as my body can take it. I’m focused on my next challenge, but the Cro Cop fight is something I would really like to do. Here in Brazil or in Japan. I think it would sell really well, everyone would like to see it. In Japan it would be a great main event for the Saitama Super Arena”.

Big Nogueira was the first fighter to defeat Cro Cop, winning by armbar back at Pride Final Conflict in 2003. It was a back and forth affair, with Cro Cop landing some good strikes in the stand-up department, however Minotauro weathered the storm to finish the fight in the second.

Now 38-years old, and Crop Cop 40, a rematch between the pair in questionable. Especially with Nogueira on a two-fight skid, against current interim heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum and Roy Nelson.

However the Brazilian is set to face Stefan Struve at UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and should he win that fight, a bout with Cro Cop seems much more plausible. The fight with Struve holds implications for both fighters, with many speculating a loser leaves town scenario.

In contrast, Cro Cop is riding a three fight win streak, with two TKO victories over Satoshi Ishii in 2014, and a return victory in the UFC last month, where Cro Cop avenged his brutal 2007 head kick loss to Gabriel Gonzaga with a third round TKO in Krakow.

Cro Cop responded: “I wish Minotauro luck in his upcoming match in August when he is to fight Stefan Struve. I think it would be good for him to focus on that match now and later we can talk about our rematch.

“It’s just not like me to call out my opponents in the media and I’m not going to do it now either. Moreover, it’s up to the UFC, they do the match-making and I believe they will do good job this time as they always do. Anyhow, if the rematch gets set to happen, I will be looking forward to it and this time I will be the one to celebrate the victory.“

With Filipovic previously stating he would prefer to fight in Europe next, it makes it interesting to see if and where the bout takes place, and whether or not the UFC promote it as a headline bout for an EMEA event.

(Photo/Jorden Curran)