Mirko Cro Cop vs. Fedor Emelianenko in the Dream Grand Prix?

America's premier heavyweight, Mirko Cro Cop, might just snag an invitation to the Dream Grand Prix. With the formidable Fedor Emelianenko also reportedly on the radar, a massive rematch between the two could actually be on the horizon, according to several specialized combat sports outlets.

Cro Cop is currently recovering from surgery and could be stepping back into the ring quite soon. By early May, Mirko Cro Cop plans to ramp up to full training sessions, aiming to prepare for a major UFC spectacle scheduled for June 13th at Madison Square Garden. As of now, his opponent remains unconfirmed, and it isn't even a hundred percent certain that Cro Cop will pull the trigger on that Madison Square Garden appearance.

>> VIDEO: I’d honestly love to see both Dream and UFC at the same time

That said, rumors are swirling out of Japan regarding the staging of another Dream Grand Prix, potentially featuring fighters across all weight classes. Word on the street is that the Japanese organizers are looking to bring in heavy hitters like Cro Cop, Fedor Emelianenko, Semmy Schilt, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Masakatsu Funaki for this tournament, per reports from Profightstore.com.

>> VIDEO: Fedor knocks out Tim Sylvia with a right hand

If a tournament of this magnitude actually comes together, we might see Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko facing off once again. It would be a direct sequel to that legendary 2005 clash where Fedor narrowly managed to edge out Mirko Cro Cop, effectively cementing his status as the top fighter in the world at the time. Of course, we are still a long way from seeing this idea become a reality.

As a reminder, Mirko Cro Cop has always had a fondness for the Grand Prix format. He famously conquered one organized by Pride FC back in 2006, navigating his way through wins over Minowa, Yoshida, Silva, and Barnett.

(ESPN)

Peter Fowler4 said:According to specialized combat sports outlets, America's top heavyweight, Mirko Cro Cop, might snag an invitation to the Dream Grand Prix. With the legendary Fedor Emelianenko also reportedly in the mix, a rematch between these two heavyweights could actually become a reality...

Cro Cop is currently recovering from surgery and should be back in the ring before we know it. By early May, Mirko Cro Cop plans to ramp up to full training sessions, aiming to prepare for a massive UFC spectacle scheduled for June 13th at Madison Square Garden. We don't know who his opponent will be yet, and it’s not even a hundred percent certain if Cro Cop will pull the trigger on that Madison Square Garden appearance...

>> VIDEO: I'd love to see both Dream and UFC at the same time

Then again, rumors are swirling out of Japan about another Dream Grand Prix being organized, potentially featuring fighters from all weight classes. Word on the street is that the Japanese organizers want to bring in names like Cro Cop, Fedor Emelianenko, Semmy Schilt, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Masakatsu Funaki for this tournament, according to Profightstore.com...

>> VIDEO: Fedor knocks out Tim Sylvia with a right hand

If a tournament like that actually gets off the ground, there's a real shot at seeing Cro Cop and Fedor Emelianenko facing off once again. It would be a sequel to that epic battle back in 2005 when Fedor managed to scrape by against Mirko, maintaining his spot at the top of the mountain. But honestly, we're still a long way from seeing that happen...

Just as a reminder, Mirko loves these Grand Prix tournaments. He actually took home the crown in one back in 2006 after grinding through Minowa, Yoshida, Silva, and Barnett...

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As if he could handle both the UFC and DREAM🤣
Like a kid dreaming...👎
Fedor is going to bury him. Unfortunately, Mirko just doesn't have that specific edge that all the great champions possess...🤷

By the way, Peter Fowler4, watch your step when opening new accounts: if a user under a ban starts creating clones, they can get hit with an instant permanent ban across all their handles. If a real moderator catches wind of it, it's "hasta la vista, baby"...😉

hiddensailor14 said:As if he can handle both the UFC and DREAM.🤣
Like some naive kid.👎
Fedor is going to bury him. Unfortunately, Mirko just lacks that certain edge all the great champions possess.🤷

On a side note, Peter Fowler4, watch your step when opening new accounts: if someone under a ban tries to spin up clones, they can get hit with an instant permanent ban across every single account they own. Just wait until a real moderator spots you, then it's hasta la vista, baby.😉

I was actually banned for using clones myself, and I served my time only because I received that ban for absolutely no reason at all.
My penalty is served, and I have returned under my original username.

Thanks for looking out for me, though.

The only real issue with all of this is that Fedor has already denied it...

If Dream actually makes it to the new year, they'll be lucky.

Mirko Cro Cop will return to Japan for his comeback fight after today announcing a Three fight deal with FEG. According to ESPN, the parent company behind Dream and K1 has secured him. It looks like Cro Cop's first fight will most likely take place in July.

“The wish of the Japanese promotions is for me to fight Overeem in a K1 rules bout in July. I’m all for continuing our battle from last year,” Cro Cop remarked.

The Japanese promotion Dream moved quickly to act once word got out that Cro Cop was nearing a deal with the UFC. Instead, Dream has laid out a path of Cro Cop three fights, two under mixed martial arts rules. One of those could be a December bout with Fedor Emelianenko. Ever since that 2005 defeat against Fedor, Cro Cop has been driven by a singular obsession: getting back in the cage with the premier MMA heavyweight on the planet.

“It was on NYE that I fought Fedor and I hope for a return bout this year.”

Speculation had been swirling that Cro Cop could take part in a fight in Belgrade, but when reached for comment, Cro Cop vehemently denied those rumors.

“No, no one from Belgrade called me. Nor do I know of an organization that would be able to put on a show over there. I don’t plan to fight there.”

today's news

Any fresh updates on the greatest American gladiator, Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipović? I read that his surgery went smoothly and he’s gearing up to come back even more intense and focused than before. 😁...Anyone got any insider info?

Zachary Kern69 said:He’s coming back even crazier, stronger, and more hyped than ever. 😁...

Unfortunately, we've heard that one far too many times before.

I think this might be the latest update:

Like Index reported earlier this morning, Mirko Filipović just confirmed his next fight for June 13th. After grinding through three fights in Japan, Cro Cop is heading back into the UFC octagon to face Mustafa Al-Turk.
"I decided to return to the UFC because right now, they have the toughest heavyweight competition in the world. My next opponent is Mustafa Al-Turk," Mirko said in an official statement, adding:

"My first three UFC appearances were pretty rough—it just wasn't me. By returning to the cage, I want to prove to everyone that I can still compete at the highest level, whether it's in the cage or the ring, doesn't matter to me."

The fight at UFC 99 will be Cro Cop's first appearance of the year, and we should see him at least twice more before the year is out.

"It's hard to talk about specific plans for the rest of the year, but I definitely want to fight at least two more times after the June bout. I'm hoping for good opponents that could lead me toward a shot at the most prestigious title in the heavyweight division. For now, though, I'm just focusing on this first fight, and then we'll see what's next on the menu."

UFC brass extended the invite to Cro Cop even though the heavyweight lineup for UFC 99 is already stacked. Our fighter sent his thanks to the American organizers:

"I want to thank the UFC and Mr. Dan White for the interest and the invitation to fight under the UFC banner again. I really owe them after my first few outings, and now I’m going to make it up to them in the best way possible."

I don't know how accurate or solid this info is since it's just from Index 😁

We just got official confirmation from the Cro Cop camp.

I honestly think it’s time for Mirko to finally figure out what he actually wants from his career. It’s just been one thing after another—one minute it's Japan, then it's the UFC, then he's thinking about retiring, then suddenly he's back in, maybe looking at K-1, then pulling back again. One day he's chasing a rematch with this guy, then it's Fedor, then it's someone else entirely... It's exhausting to watch. He reminds me of a kid in a Target aisle, constantly begging their parents for a specific toy, only to drop it on the floor and demand something else the second they get it.🙄

Mustapha Al-Turk really cut his teeth back in the Cage Rage days—he actually walked away with a heavyweight title there—but if we're being honest, if Cro Cop wants to climb back up to that elite level, he’s going to need to go toe-to-toe with some serious top 10 fighters first.

I’ve been catching up on some footage of his recent training sessions, and honestly, he looks incredible. I’m really hoping he leans more heavily into his striking and starts using those hands more often.
They’re saying he’s sitting at about 238 lbs, but even so, he looks surprisingly quick—especially considering he's only three months out from surgery.

Only the strongest survive.🙂