Do people realize that Cro Cop...

xelad1

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... had over 90 fights (counting MMA K-1 and Amateur boxing matches) by the time he fought Gabriel Gonzaga

I mean he was only 33 I think but was definitely a battle worn 33. I don't know why I find this so crazy, pretty amazing that someone could compete at such a high level at such a rate in multiple sports essentially.
 
I agree, a "prime" Cro Cop would have walked right through that kick to the head.

Prime Crocop would have gotten the UFC belt at the time he came in. He'd have beaten Gonzaga and Couture, I'm not sure how long he'd have defended the belt though.
 
Even "prime" CC was always prone to KO upsets. The Michael McDonald, Kevin Randleman and Gonzaga fights are all eerily similar in circumstances.

The Gonzaga fight was the turning point for him though. His knee was obviously never the same afterwards.
 
CroCop has a longer fighting career than Couture. When he was still in the UFC he was probably the guy who fought for the longest time as a pro.

I agree, a "prime" Cro Cop would have walked right through that kick to the head.

His chin has never been legendary, he has been stopped by strikes in K1 and MMA before that.
 
... had over 90 fights (counting MMA K-1 and Amateur boxing matches) by the time he fought Gabriel Gonzaga

I mean he was only 33 I think but was definitely a battle worn 33. I don't know why I find this so crazy, pretty amazing that someone could compete at such a high level at such a rate in multiple sports essentially.

My issue with this argument.. Are the Pride fanboys really going to say he was past his prime when he made his debut in the UFC within 5 months of winning the Pride Openweight Grand Prix.

Cro Cop was not past his prime. He had just accomplished his biggest success to date.

Cro Cop struggled because he was in a new organization with very different rules and regulations that he didnt adjust to well. The differences between fighting in a ring versus an octagon are huge. Pride Rules vs. the Unified MMA rules very different. Cro Cops style fit much better in Pride.
 
My issue with this argument.. Are the Pride fanboys really going to say he was past his prime when he made his debut in the UFC within 5 months of winning the Pride Openweight Grand Prix.

Cro Cop was not past his prime. He had just accomplished his biggest success to date.

Cro Cop struggled because he was in a new organization with very different rules and regulations that he didnt adjust to well. The differences between fighting in a ring versus an octagon are huge. Pride Rules vs. the Unified MMA rules very different. Cro Cops style fit much better in Pride.

I agree. Right you are. This is the clear situation. And this is the Fedor situation as well.
Fedor said, no difference between rinf and cage but this is not true.
 
People aren't stupid, the man has had a great and long career.

I think why there has been so much backlash is because he had just won the Grand Prix before coming into the UFC and all of his fans kept saying he would destroy everyone. It was under this context that people were ragging on him.

But yes, if you look purely at numbers, no one can argue that he has gone through many wars even before entering the UFC.
 
It's a shame we didn't see him fight Randy
 
And Wanderlei beat him in the first fight :icon_chee

The UFC fucked up bad not making Couture vs Crocop

If Couture folded from one body kick from Vera, I can only imagine how he would react from 1 shot from Crocop.
 
My issue with this argument.. Are the Pride fanboys really going to say he was past his prime when he made his debut in the UFC within 5 months of winning the Pride Openweight Grand Prix.

Cro Cop was not past his prime. He had just accomplished his biggest success to date.

Cro Cop struggled because he was in a new organization with very different rules and regulations that he didnt adjust to well. The differences between fighting in a ring versus an octagon are huge. Pride Rules vs. the Unified MMA rules very different. Cro Cops style fit much better in Pride.

Mirko was not in his prime when he won the GP. No disrespect, but he had an easy road. Fought guys not in his weight class and then fought a spent Barnett. And he already had the losses to Fedor and Hunt prior. I don't say that to discredit him either, just saying it as a reality check.

People think just because he won the GP, he was in his prime. He wasn't. That combined with everything else stated led to his downfall.
 
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Especially in HW anyone can be caught by surprise, even in their prime. Gonzaga kicks @zz, BTW.
 
His chin has never been legendary, he has been stopped by strikes in K1 and MMA before that.

Most of his stoppages in K1 weren't from punches to his chin or head. Did you even watch those fights?

Additionally, before his mma fight against Gonzaga, Cro Cop had only been T/KOd once.



Prime Cro Cop would have torn through the UFC when he entered in 2007. After he won the Grand Prix, he seemed to lose the killer mentality he once had. Also, as the OP notes, Cro Cop had been fighting for years and in competitive, damaging bouts.
 
... had over 90 fights (counting MMA K-1 and Amateur boxing matches) by the time he fought Gabriel Gonzaga

I mean he was only 33 I think but was definitely a battle worn 33. I don't know why I find this so crazy, pretty amazing that someone could compete at such a high level at such a rate in multiple sports essentially.

Yes, but do you realize that in an alternate universe, there could be a version of you that eats turds and poops out sandwiches?

Pretty amazing, if you think about it.
 
Mirko was not in his prime when he won the GP. No disrespect, but he had an easy road. Fought guys not in his weight class and then fought a spent Barnett. And he already had the losses to Fedor and Hunt prior. I don't say that to discredit him either, just saying it as a reality check.

People think just because he won the GP, he was in his prime. He wasn't. That combined with everything else stated led to his downfall.

His speed,reflexes and timing was absolutely perfect in the Wanderlei fight. while he did have a easier road to the final, he was physically in great condition.
 
Mirko was not in his prime when he won the GP. No disrespect, but he had an easy road. Fought guys not in his weight class and then fought a spent Barnett. And he already had the losses to Fedor and Hunt prior. I don't say that to discredit him either, just saying it as a reality check.

People think just because he won the GP, he was in his prime. He wasn't. That combined with everything else stated led to his downfall.

The biggest factor in his down fall besides the sheer number of fights he'd been in was the fact that he shattered his ankle when he knocked Wand out and it never properly healed.

He was going to challenge Fedor to a rematch at Shockwave but was still recovering from surgery.
 
His speed,reflexes and timing was absolutely perfect in the Wanderlei fight. he was fine.

I think the key is his reflex timing.

He even admitted in an interview that speed goes away but the strength increases.

His reflexes during vs. Magamedov were incredible.

His reflexes included his response time, so they were also amazing to watch.

How would CC do against certain competition?

IDK. We will never know, but yeah, he fought a hell of a lot of fights.
 
Most of his stoppages in K1 weren't from punches to his chin or head. Did you even watch those fights?

Additionally, before his mma fight against Gonzaga, Cro Cop had only been T/KOd once.



Prime Cro Cop would have torn through the UFC when he entered in 2007. After he won the Grand Prix, he seemed to lose the killer mentality he once had. Also, as the OP notes, Cro Cop had been fighting for years and in competitive, damaging bouts.

This.

CC never had a bad chin, the Randleman match was the first time he was put out cold in his professional fight career. Hell he even took a flush knee (flying knee) from Bonjasky and we all know what Mirko did to him in that fight.
 
Yes, but do you realize that in an alternate universe, there could be a version of you that eats turds and poops out sandwiches?

Pretty amazing, if you think about it.

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Hard to say Cro Cop woulda gotten the UFC belt if he came over in his prime. The Octagon doesn't favor his style much in my opinion.
 
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