The UFC made its first venture into Polish territory on Saturday night, with over 10,000 people in attendance at the Tauron Arena, in Krakow.
The card featured an array of local talent, and whilst the partisan crowd was left largely disappointed after the majority of their fighters lost, there were promising wins for Pawel Pawlak and Bartosz Fabinski.
It was the main event that stole the show though, with living legend Mirko Cro Cop mounting a thrilling comeback and avenging his loss to Gabriel Gonzaga with a third-round TKO.
Here we take a look who the winners from the main card should face off against next.
Maryna Moroz vs. Joanne Calderwood:
Billed as one of the top contenders in the division, Scottish Strawweight Calderwood (9-1) entered the fight against virtual unknown Moroz with a significant amount of pressure on her shoulders, knowing a win could possibly seal a title shot against champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at July’s Glasgow event. Unfortunately for ‘Jojo,’ the pressure told, and she was dominated on the feet before tapping to an arm bar in the first round.
After securing her victory Moroz (6-0) mounted the fence and, to the displeasure of the local crowd, proceeded to goad champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who was sitting cageside. After some entertaining verbal barbs were thrown back and forth, Moroz requested a title-shot during her post-fight interview.
Whilst the incident makes for an interesting subplot that’d do the newly formed division no harm in terms of exposure, the fight was her Octagon debut as a contender outside of the top 15 and, therefore, she won’t be fighting for any titles just yet.
What makes more sense is a fight against Alexandra Albu, who also featured on the card and who too looked impressive in victory.
This is the fight that makes the most sense right now for Moroz, and with another impressive victory she might be challenging for the belt soon.
Next fight: Alexandra Albu
Pawel Pawlak vs. Sheldon Westcott
In the second fight on the main card, Polish fighter Pawel Pawlak gave the home crowd something to cheer by defeating Canadian opponent Sheldon Westcott.
Billed as the underdog, Pawlak used his wrestling to control his opponent and eventually won via unanimous decision.
Although the bout was only his second for the UFC, and his first was a defeat to Peter Sobotta, Pawlak possesses an impressive record, and they’ll likely look for an opponent with a similar wins and appearances in the Octagon.
Enter the fray Russian fighter Sultan Aliev (13-2, UFC: 0-1), who’s coming off a loss to Kenny Robertson in his UFC debut. His stand up style could make for an interesting match up with ‘Plastinho,’ who also likes to trade on the feet, and once the rivalry between Poland and Russia is factored in, you have the makings of a very interesting match-up.
Next fight: Sultan Aliev
Jimi Manuwa vs. Jan Blachowicz
Although most were predicting fireworks in this Light Heavyweight bout, the anticipated stand up battle never materialized, with Manuwa eventually awarded a unanimous victory by the judges after grinding down his Polish opponent with clinches and knees to the legs.
At the post-fight press conference Manuwa gave some insight into why his performance lacked its usual explosiveness, revealing he recently tore his meniscus and was advised to pull out of the fight a week before the event. The injury will require immediate surgery, putting him out of action for the time being and making it rather difficult for me to suggest his next opponent!
He also said he’d like a top-ten fighter in his next bout, and given he was ranked #9 in the UFC’s rankings before this latest victory, the request certainly isn’t unreasonable.
Phil Davis is coming off a recent loss to Ryan Bader, and this is a fight that could test ‘Poster Boy’ against a highly skilled wrestler. Whether or not ‘Mr. Wonderful’ will still be available to fight after Manuwa’s surgery, though, remains to be seen.
Next opponent: Phil Davis
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
In what was no doubt the highlight of the evening (unless your name happens to be Gabriel Gonzaga), after being beaten up for two rounds, Mirko Cro Cop staged a dramatic comeback, drawing the referee’s stoppage midway through the third round.
After doing next to nothing for the first two rounds and being out struck as well as mounted twice by Gonzaga, it was beginning to look as though the MMA legend had made a grave error in returning to the big stage.
But in the third phase, he began to engage with his now fatigued opponent and, after landing a flurry of standing elbows, he ended the fight with ground and pound, leaving Gonzaga’s face a bloody mess.
The victory brought by far the biggest roar of the evening, with much of the crowd on their feet to applaud the Croatian superstar.
Although he was giving nothing away in regards to his next opponent at the post-fight press conference, it’s been suggested there’s an agreement in place for him to face former foe Frank Mir, to whom he lost to in 2010 at UFC 119. Given that during fight week Cro Cop said he’s only really interested in rematches to avenge his previous losses, there could well be foundation to the this rumour.
As well as potential opponents, after the fight he was also asked about retirement, and although he failed to rule anything out he said he’d enjoyed his comeback to the UFC – referring to it as a ‘very special night.’ This means we can be almost certain he’ll be back in the Octagon again.
Whatever he decides to do after this fight, Mirko rolled back the years in Krakow, and the man to whom many attribute the birth of their interest in mixed martial arts gave his fans another reason to revere their hero, serving up a reminder that there’s life in the old Cop yet.
Next fight: Frank Mir
Photo by Jorden Curran
