Pros Pick: Mir vs. Cro Cop

Ron Foster: It depends on Mir, honestly. If he lets what he did to [Antonio Rodrigo] Nogueira and [Cheick] Kongo on the feet get to his head, it will be a short night for Frank. If Mir uses a smart game plan and closes the distance working for the takedown, he could easily get the win. With that being said, Frank will try to test the water on the feet with Cro Cop and wake up a few minutes later asking, “What just happened?” Cro Cop by TKO in round two.

Thales Leites: Mir wins by submission in the first round.

Roli Delgado: I’m a huge Cro Cop fan from the Pride days. However, I think that if Mir takes the fight to Cro Cop, he will be able to tie him up and submit him. I hope to see the old-school Cro Cop, but I am going to take Mir by submission, round two.

Robin Black: Yeah, we know: right kick cemetery, left kick morgue. Seriously, it’s hard to land that left kick from the ground when you’re getting kneebarred. Fun old-school fight. CroCop wants it on the feet. Mir, if he’s playing smart, wants it on the ground. Are Mir’s takedowns better than Cro Cop’s takedown defense? That’s the real question here. Tough call, tough fight. I’m going to hesitantly go with Mir by submission.

Eddy Millis: I got Mir on this one. He’s a smart fighter and has gotten much better. I see Mir adapting to whatever Cro Cop throws at him. I got Mir by KO.

Carlos Barreto: Travel back to the time of Pride. I think momentum, confidence and the left high kick would be triumphant in this battle, but, today, in the UFC, I do not see much of a chance for Cro Cop. I think Mir knows better shortcuts to the win, while Mirko no longer has the speed and aggression he used to. I see a victory for Mir.

Matt Hamilton: This fight disturbs me since it involves a true icon of the sport and a guy that, well, I don’t view in such a positive light. I would love to see Crocop beat Mir down, and the skills to do it are there. I’m just not sure if “old” Crocop is still around anymore. Unfortunately, lately, he just comes out and throws left high kicks and doesn’t set them up or even use any other weapons. Cro Cop is the only fighter over the last few years where I got that “new fan” feeling when I was around him. He has gravitas. I hope that, after a little Duran Duran walkout music, he defends a couple of takedowns while not forgetting that Mir is allowed punch, too, and then delivers a left head kick to a gassed Mir. I just don’t know. When it doubt, I seek the wisdom of the champ, and Brock Lesnar says you can’t unscramble eggs, so I’m going to go with Cro Cop by TKO in round two. Fingers are crossed.

Javier Vazquez: I think that Cro Cop is gonna win this fight. I just have a hunch. Mir does not take damage too well, and if Cro Cop opens up, he can cause plenty of damage on Mir. I’m not sure if Mir can recover from a Cro Cop onslaught.

Anthony Leone: Cro Cop by death of the right leg.

Elvis Sinosic: Man, this is a tough call. Both guys have the ability to end a match violently, Mir with bone crunching subs and Cro Cop with head-smashing KOs. The thing is both have been inconsistent as of late. Both guys are also tailor-made for each other, and, in their primes, it would have been an even harder match to pick. Will Mir rip off one of Cro Cops limbs or will Cro Cop kick Mir’s head out of the cage? If Mir is smart, he will punch his way in and push Cro Cop up against the cage, then take him down and work for a sub. One of Cro Cop’s weaknesses has been working off the cage. If Mir can get Cro Cop on his back, he has a very good chance to ground-and-pound to set up a sub. If he can’t take Cro Cop down, he’s still very dangerous off his back and has the ability to pull guard and submit Cro Cop. Cro Cop, on the other hand, has a great sprawl, though generally his best defense is against guys who shoot on him. If Mir shoots on him, he will be in trouble. The other problem could come if Mir really believes his stand-up is on the same level as Cro Cop’s. If he gets into a stand-up exchange, he could very well end up asleep. Both guys seem to have a pre-fight lose excuse. Mir said he’s not training for Cro Cop, and Cro Cop has been poked in the eye and is blinded to what Mir can do to him. The question in the end is can Cro Cop keep it standing or can Mir get it on the ground? With recent performances, I am leaning towards Mir. His biggest problem has been dealing with larger wrestlers, which Cro Cop is not. Cro Cop has not had the same performances in the cage he did earlier in his career in the ring. The Cro Cop of old was a formidable opponent to stand across from. He demolished all who stood before him, until he stepped into the UFC cage. I think Mir is too big and too experienced in the cage. I am a fan of Crop Cop and will cheer for him, but as long as Mir doesn’t try and become a kickboxer, I think this match will most likely go to him via submission. I just can’t see this match going to decision. I just hope they both come out guns firing and put on a great match.

Gabe Ruediger: The Cro Crop who was once a terror seems to have left the building. If it was the “Pride” Cro Cop, I would pick him by highlight reel head kick, but for whatever reason, that Cro Cop has decided to go the way of the Croatian economy. Sadly, I’m picking Mir.

Pros who picked Mir: 28
Pros who picked Cro Cop: 12
Pros who couldn’t decide: 1

Readers can also contact Mike Sloan at www.facebook.com/mikesloan19. Gleidson Venga and Brian Knapp contributed to this report.