Cro Cop's team member on Fedor fight:One significant mistake was made

[MMACroatia]

Mirko's good friend and part of coaching staff talked recently about fighting Fedor in our podcast winch Mirko himself attended many times.


-What mistake was done,usually if the fight was on Saturday we would fly to Japan on Thursday,you get there in the morning and you can normally sleep through all day if you want to and be easily awake during the night and you can do that those few days and it doesn't affect you at all,you sleep during the day and come to fight just fine.
-Than,team changed that even though i was against that and so we came too early like 10 days before the fight. Mirko was like a rocekt,in great shape but i believe he fell apart few days before the fight,jet lag crushed him.It's one of those little things that make the difference.
-Fedor prepared for Mirko for a long time,a year at least and probably more.He was going to Amsterdam to work on his striking,perfecting blocks etc. and maybe Mirko underestimated him a little bit back then as much as this now sounds cocky.

Thoughts?

 

[Sketch]

Fedor was the better man that day, no excuses needed. One of the best fights of all time. Props to these two warriors for the show they put on.

 

[yekmurat]

Yeah that mistake was Mirko signed to fight against Fedor

 

[TheMessiah]

No shame in losing to Fedor

 

[superpunch]

Fedor was the better man that day, no excuses needed. One of the best fights of all time. Props to these two warriors for the show they put on.

Fedor wasn't a better fighter, just a bigger one. He outweighed Cro Cop by 15 lbs. If Cro Cop outweighed Fedor by 15 lbs, Cro Cop would have won. Fedor might win, but Cro Cop is the better fighter.

 

[Chael_Sonnen]

Fedor wasn't a better fighter, just a bigger one. He outweighed Cro Cop by 15 lbs. If Cro Cop outweighed Fedor by 15 lbs, Cro Cop would have won. Fedor might win, but Cro Cop is the better fighter.

Agreed.

 

[loisestrad]

Lol @ underestimating Fedor at that time. It simply didn't happen.

 

[moreorless87]

I think the big issue cardio wise personally was simply that Fedor pushed Mirko hard, had him backing up constantly then on the ground he was stacking him up making him expend energy with that defensive guard.

 

[loisestrad]

Fedor wasn't a better fighter, just a bigger one. He outweighed Cro Cop by 15 lbs. If Cro Cop outweighed Fedor by 15 lbs, Cro Cop would have won. Fedor might win, but Cro Cop is the better fighter.

8 pounds. Got sources?

https://www.tapology.com/fightcente...-fedor-emelianenko-vs-mirko-cro-cop-filipovic

 

[Rvd Slmr]

I have experienced that jet-lag (France and Croatia are on the same time zone) to Japan, it sucks but I don't see why it would have suddenly came back and hurt Mirko after being already in Japan for a few days.

 

[TankAbbott4Eva]

I have experienced that jet-lag (France and Croatia are on the same time zone) to Japan, it sucks but I don't see why it would have suddenly came back and hurt Mirko after being already in Japan for a few days.

That's exactly what I thought.

 

[Undefeated Undisputed]

Yeah that mistake was Mirko signed to fight against Fedor

What mistake? He rocked Fedor on the feet and lost a decision after Fedor laid on him the rest of the fight.

 

[MCDojoMMA]

It think it wouldn't make any difference

 

[RichardHarrow]

Fedor wasn't a better fighter, just a bigger one. He outweighed Cro Cop by 15 lbs. If Cro Cop outweighed Fedor by 15 lbs, Cro Cop would have won. Fedor might win, but Cro Cop is the better fighter.

Yet Mirko fought Wanderlei ( a big mw) in his prime subject to the condition that if there is no KO then it would be declared a draw . Had that not been the case Wanderlei would have won. Crocop was always a diva.

 

[DayV]

Stupid mistake was also accepting Magomedov fight (Fedor's teammate and training partner) just 2 months before fighting Fedor. Not enough time to rest and go to camp again, and it helps Fedor's team to try tacical testings.

Cro Cop just fought too often. He had 10 fights in just a year and half before Fedor and was most likely overtrained and far from ideal shape.

Cro Cop could have done a lot better in rematch that he deserved, but demise of Pride and unlucky circumstances took it away from him.

 

[MMACroatia]

Lol @ underestimating Fedor at that time. It simply didn't happen.

I think you misunderstood this a bit.
Not underestimating Fedor as fighter and his skills but can he take those deadly kicks.Back then nobody was surviving Mirko's kicks and it was a fair assumption that if Fedor takes it clean he won't survive either.He probably came thinking that once he landa the head kick its over.But he didn't land it clean and so Fedor was mostly fine and didn't allow it to happen again.

 

[moreorless87]

Yet Mirko fought Wanderlei ( a big mw) in his prime subject to the condition that if there is no KO then it would be declared a draw . Had that not been the case Wanderlei would have won. Crocop was always a diva.

That shows you the difference as well, Wanderlei tried to pressure Mirko the way Fedor did but he didnt have the speed/skill to do so without getting destoryed, the only guys in Mirko's prime who pressured him without getting beaten up were Fedor and Hunt, the latter needed to show a godlike chin eating a plum LHK. Guys like Wanderlei, Herring, ALeks, Igor, etc tried to pressure Mirko but couldnt.

 

[13Seconds]

Jet lag is for real. We need a rematch to settle this.

I'd take Mirko at this point but Fedor makes it interesting. Book it

 

[Kumason]

So the jet lag f'd him all up because he got there too early? Looking back at a fight as a fighter or part of the team/coaching staff i'm sure there's a lot of things that should have or could have been different. I just don't get this one and the fact that Mirko did that trip SO many times previously he should know all too well how to handle it and what to do to combat it. I never had jet lag 10 days later lol. It's like saying you could compete great 2 days after having a nasty hangover but not 10.

I thought this was going to be something technical like how he let Fedor pressure him, backed up straight etc. Not that that was his mistakes, i'm just using an example. This is still my most anticipated fight ever so obviously I love both these guys and I don't mind excuses because someone asks someone what they thought went wrong and they say what they think. It's when excuses are overblown and respect isn't shown is when it's ridiculous.

 

[muaythaidon1]

Fedor wasn't a better fighter, just a bigger one. He outweighed Cro Cop by 15 lbs. If Cro Cop outweighed Fedor by 15 lbs, Cro Cop would have won. Fedor might win, but Cro Cop is the better fighter.

No way he outweighed him by that much, Fedor is barely 6 foot, and Cro-Cop was on all the roids ( I'm sure Fedor was aswell).