How special was Mirko Cro Cop?

That is a big factor when it comes to listing "names" in wins, pretty much everyone Nog ever beat(besides Randy but then again neither man was) was arguably in their prime.
That was not Werdums prime, he bloomed about 10 years later.
 
I think you can make a very legitimate argument that PrideFC HW division was the most dangerous and deepest talent pool ever in the sport. And he fought his way to the top of that mountain and took out some really amazing scalps on the way.

And they were juiced to the gills scientifically enhanced superhumans.

Pride HWs

Fedor- Pride HW champ, 10 years undefeated
Big Nog- Pride HW champ & UFC i-champ
CroCop- PrideGP champ
Barnett - UFC HW champ
Randleman - UFC HW champ
Coleman - UFC HW champ
Fabricio Werdum - UFC HW champ
Mark Kerr - UFC HW tournament champ
Don Frye- UFC HW tournament champ
Wanderlei Silva- Pride MW champ
Dan Henderson- Pride 183 & 205 champ, Strikeforce LHW champ
Igor - 20+ fight win streak
Semmy Schilt - K1 Champ
Mark Hunt - K1 Champ
Alistair Overeem- K1 champ, Dream HW Champ, Strikeforce HW champ
Aleks Emelianenko- actual convicted violent criminal with crazy hands and ko power

Plus dangerous freaks like:

Bob Sapp, juiced to the gills and actually fighting
Sergei Kharitarnov
Gilbert Yvel- he would bite or gouge your eyes out
Gary Goodridge
Heath Herring
Ken Shamrock
Enson Innoue
Minowaman
 
Last edited:
Extremely special legendary career but as the old saying goes live by the sword, die by the sword.
 
That was not Werdums prime, he bloomed about 10 years later.

He was a 5 year veteran and ranked #7 in the world in the most stacked era of HWs ever. Was he at his best? Maybe not. But he was still closer to being in his prime at that time than he was to being some green rookie. His BJJ, his cardio and grappling intensity were peaking for sure at that time. He was beating guys like Aleks E, Overeem, Gonzaga and Brandon Vera by TKO around that time. That was an amazing win for Nog.
 
He was a 5 year veteran and ranked #7 in the world in the most stacked era of HWs ever. Was he at his best? Maybe not. But he was still closer to being in his prime at that time than he was to being some green rookie. His BJJ, his cardio and grappling intensity were peaking for sure at that time. He was beating guys like Aleks E, Overeem, Gonzaga and Brandon Vera by TKO around that time. That was an amazing win for Nog.
Ok it was still a solid win but far from the best version of Werdum who actually learned to strike.
 
Are we pretending that LHW and HW have greatly evolved during the last 15 years? Spoiler alert...they haven't. When a one-dimensional brawler like Derrick has spent the last 5+ years ranked in the top 10, often in the top 5, that should tell you all you need to know. The corpse of Andrei Arlovski picked up 2 wins in the UFC last year, ffs.


This has been going on forever here in lots of divisions. The funniest part is that after GSP retired in 2013 and Silva lost to Weidman everyone stated that the new breed to fighters were here like Rockhold and for fucks sake we did we get years later?

We had one eye Bisping as MW champ and GSP coming out of retirement chocking him to out cold at MSG. Seriously if someone were to tell you back in like 2010 GSP and Bisping would be fighting for the MW title you would have been laughed at on Sherdog.
 
How was he overrated?
Competition, the moment he stopped fighting fighters who didn't belong in the ring with him struggled. It occurred to him in Pride & the UFC. Don't bother replying, this topic has been done death and nothing is going to change my mind on how I feel about Cro Cop, good fighter but a little overrated.
 
When people say 'Left kick hospital, right kick grave' about your offense, you've achieved mythical status. He could've never fought in the UFC and had been revered nonetheless.
 
One of a kind I think. He was also a larger than life character.
 
Competition, the moment he stopped fighting fighters who didn't belong in the ring with him struggled. It occurred to him in Pride & the UFC. Don't bother replying, this topic has been done death and nothing is going to change my mind on how I feel about Cro Cop, good fighter but a little overrated.

"Mirko was unable to go undefeated forever and thus he was was overrated."

Another shertard. Amazing.
 
Seems that nowadays anytime someone gets a headkick knockout it automatically becomes their number one highlight and knockout of the year contender.

From Joachim Buckley to Leon Edwards, to now Justin Gaethje, it seems if you can pull of a headkick knockout it becomes a career defining moment and one that most fighters are lucky to land just once in their career.

So how impressive is it when a guy’s highlight reel is filled with headkick knockouts? And not like he was surprising anyone, they all knew what to expect, not only did they know what was coming, they even knew which side it was coming from and they still fell victim to it anyway time and time again.

Hats off to the GOAT head kicker of all time, there will never be another Mirko Cro Cop.

DefenselessFirmFlyingsquirrel-max-1mb.gif


tumblr_inline_nigfjmdJMO1rql7h5.gif


tumblr_inline_nigfjxlsRB1rql7h5.gif


tumblr_mz0fjgWuk41ry1rm7o1_400.gif


53166_o.gif


WFGl8e6.gif


crocopnagata.gif


fc185a82d25ec1b82f144841c31774e8.gif
The real GOAT head kicker is Peter Aerts, but if we’re talking strictly in terms of MMA, Crocop was the fucking man, and that left leg was fearsome as hell, especially in the Pride days. Crocop truly was special, he had that aura, was part of an anti terrorist unit in Croatia, and had that stoic face to go with those thick, deadly legs. And his left straight was pretty incredible too.
 
Back
Top