CroCop Considers Quitting MMA

Mirko Filipovic has authenticated the concerns shared by even his most loyal of fans.

Even I argued that a short series of dull and unimpressive performances against reputable competition should not mar the entirety of such an illustrious career and spell doom for the Croatian's future, but was forced to change my tune after Saturday's letdown.  I succumbed to the tangible and overwhelming realization that CroCop just doesn't have what it takes to be a top HW fighter in MMA. 

Apparently, Mirko agrees.  Speaking to InsideFights about his ineffectiveness against Junior dos Santos at UFC 103, CroCop stated the following:

“I’ve been training like a spartan for twenty years now. My body is worn out.  Obviously, I can’t break my mental block in the octagon. The years have caught up to me, and I’m worn out.”

“I don’t feel the hunger anymore. I started playing it safe and I’m not ready to take risks.  I’ve been living a military life for twenty years. I want a normal life. I’m stepping into a cage, but I’m thinking about fishing in Privlaka. You can’t live that way.”

“Maybe I should have quit after I won the (PRIDE) Open Weight Grand Prix."

This is similar to discovering that your wife has been cheating on you.  Hearing the news makes you outwardly flinch; but it's better to know than not, and it explains why she hasn't been performing on Saturday night like the racehorse she used to be.

Now that I understand his frame of mind and where his heart is (or isn't), I fondly look back on all of the incredible performances he's provided to MMA fans in the past, and to K-1 fans before that, and also the time he served honorably for the Croatian Anti-Terrorist military unit, and I firmly believe that the man has more than earned himself the peace and serenity of a quiet lake in order to reflect on his long and impressive list of accomplishments in life.  Any man should be proud to have achieved success in one of those areas, and he absolutely excelled in all three.

Mirko, thank you for the memories, and for making MMA a more enjoyable sport to watch.  You will go down in history as a legend of the sport.