Your theory on why CroCop didn't carry over his success to the UFC?

[EricaLovesUFC]

I don't think it had anything to do with getting old or his style being better suited for Pride or maybe his Pride opponents were overrated. I think the mental and physical damage from the Gonzaga KO really affected him after that.

[JohnathanWF**]

He said it himself: he stopped fighting for anything but money in 2006.

[TheWaxMurderer]

Winning became harder.

[XTP]

When you twist your foot then your knee goes to shit. He said many time on croatian that he had like 10 operations on that knee from what 2007 to 2012. He said he couldn even stand on that leg let alone run.

Sure as hell that Gonzaga killed his career.

[Iron Leg]

I think it's probably not just a single answer, but a combination of many factors, most of which have been discussed ad nauseam: Gonzaga KO, age, fighting style, rule/ring change, cumulative damage, lack of motivation, opponents, evolution of the sport, etc.

[thatKid]

He wasn't as good as people made him out to be when he came over, he was a top fighter but the gap between him and mid level guys wasn't as big as fans would have liked to believe, as far as MMA is concerned. That combined with his style, the different cage and atmosphere and the fact that he claims to have mentally checked out of MMA after 06 all lead to CroCop getting Kongo'd and Gonzag'd

[Cwig]

he had mentally checked out even before the gonzaga KO

getting kicked to death by a BJJ guy was symptomatic of a pre-existing problem

[kaya]

I have a few:

1) Ring vs Octagon. You have better 'corners' in a ring with which to trap people as a striker. As well, it is rare to be "held up against the ropes" whereas in the UFC.. practicing what I call "The Randy Couture" is common place (hold someone against cage, do nearly nothing, win matches)

2) Age. Peopel keep forgetting (this goes for multipel fighters). Crocop was a "beast" in 2003. it is 2012 now. even in 2009, that was 6 years later. I'm 38, I was a ton more athletic/healed faster etc etc at 32, than at 38.. even though I work harder now to stay fit.

3) There was no steroid testing in Pride.

A note on #3 - I have ZERO problems with steroid usage by top athletes.. LET THEM.. maybe just have them ONLY get roids from an governing body/athletic commission so it is traced/measured/tracked.

That being said.. One thing outside of skill etc that seems to have changed for a # of Pride Fighters coming to the UFC is simply.. aggression.. everyone got nicer, calmer.. even plastic surgery to make their eyes pretty.

*shrug*.

[gspieler]

CC in Pride was aggressive and always looked determined. In the UFC he almost always looked lethargic and uninterested. The guy that "fought" Frank Mir in '10 was not the same guy that beat Wandy, Barnett, or Randleman. It was a combination of factors, including age, motivation, injuries, etc, ect, etc...you know the drill; same thing happens to every great fighter at some point.

[KeiranMc]

Cage/ring?