UFC 67 “All or Nothing”: Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Eddie Sanchez

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Eddie Sanchez

In the co-feature, former K-1 and PRIDE heavyweight contender Mirko Filipovic finally made his long-awaited American mixed martial arts debut. The 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix champion took care of business like virtually everyone expected.

The only drawback from the Croat’s win was that it wasn’t courtesy of a decapitating left high kick or devastating punching. The stoppage occurred after “Cro Cop” mounted opponent Eddie Sanchez and rained down dozens of strikes.

Sanchez gave “Cro Cop” some tricky angles throughout their encounter and his darting in and out prevented the 32-year-old striker from really unloading with his patented widow makers.

Sanchez, fighting out of the North County Fight Club near San Diego, Calif., swiftly backed away from the calm stalking of the popular striker but he was unable to maintain that crafty defense. Sanchez’s relative inexperience inevitably bit him in the rear and he walked into a punch late in the opening round.

“It surprised me and I must say, [it frustrated me], because he was running all the time around me,” Filipovic, a man of very few words, said after his fight. “But that’s the name of the game. He has the right to do anything he wants.”

Moments later the brave and promising Sanchez was on his back with “Cro Cop” fully mounted and delivering many knuckle biscuits. It was simply a matter of when Sanchez would either be rescued or knocked out and “Cro Cop” wasted little time in finishing off his imperiled foe.

Finally, after several thudding punches rattled Sanchez’s head, the referee jumped in and stopped the action. The official time of the technical knockout came at 4:33 of the first round.

What’s next is pretty obvious: “Cro Cop” will land a title shot sometime later in the year, but the Croatian superstar was indifferent toward his future opponents.

“I don’t know,” he muttered. “It depends on the UFC.”

Dana White intimated that “Cro Cop” will fight on the April card in London and after that, provided he is victorious, will face the UFC heavyweight titleholder.

Play-by-Play from www.sherdog.com

Mirko “Cro Cop” enters the Octagon to the PRIDE theme song, not his usual Duran Duran theme.

Round 1
Sanchez rushes forward with punches, but Mirko simply sidesteps. Mirko lands a left kick to the body. Mirko lands a crisp straight left. And another. Mirko is picking his shots here. Mirko cuts off the ring and plows a low kick into Sanchez’s legs. Sanchez can take a punch. Sanchez shoots but Mirko stuffs it. Mirko allows him to go to his back before taking side-control. “Cro Cop” mounts. Mirko pounds away with punches until the referee stops the bout at 4:33 of the first frame.

Fight Video

Mirko Cro Cop - Eddie Sanchez
Uploaded by funoncom

Interviews (after fight)
Sherdog.com’s Mike Sloan spoke with Eddie Sanchez after the heavyweight’s disappointing loss to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic Saturday at UFC 67.

Cro Cop's post fight interview

What was your first impression after your UFC debut?
Mirko: It was all a bit weird to me. The rules are different too. Some things are allowed, some are not; but, it was OK.

In Nevada, knees and kicks aren’t allowed to fighters with their knees on the mat. Having fought mostly in Japan, is it difficult to adjust?
Mirko: Yeah, I kept in mind that I couldn't use my knees and kicks. The rules of the game are different; and, I need to adjust. For me it's easier to fight under PRIDE rules; but, I'll do fine.

What do you think of your first UFC opponent, Eddie Sanchez?
Mirko: I think Sanchez was scared a bit, constantly backpedaling, running away from me. I was forced to chase him around.

Why was PRIDE's theme played as your entrance song?
I made that call because of reasons I’d like to keep to myself.

When will you fight for the UFC title?
Mirko: Third fight probably, or maybe even fourth. Against Sylvia or Couture, we'll see.

When is your next fight?
Mirko: In Manchester on April 20th. I don't know who my next opponent will be yet.

What do you think about the support shown from U.S. Croatians?
Mirko: It was really nice. The atmosphere was different; the event venue was smaller; but, it was very interesting. The fans are much louder than the crowd in Japan.

Did you have some problems with injuries?
Mirko: A few minor injuries were troubling me, nothing too serious, but enough to distract my focus from the fight. I’ve had trouble with injuries for the past 20 days. This was one of the toughest fights for me because I had my left leg drained at Dr. Bucan's clinic just 10 days ago. We considered canceling the fight; and, even Dr. Bucan suggested I should skip the fight. It was tough for me, not because of Eddie Sanchez, but because of all those injuries. I had problems with my left ankle and both shins; plus, the big toe on my right foot was swollen. Nothing too serious, but it ruined my focus on the fight; and, I felt really bad.

Do you prefer PRIDE or UFC?
Mirko: Well, there are some things that are different from a promotional aspect; but, I don't want to make any comments. I'm a UFC fighter now; and, that's it. Both organizations have done a terrific job. Some things are different, like the crowd. They “boo” if the fight isn’t interesting. In Japan, they don't do that.