Cro Copera: Filipovic Dashes on UFC Promises, Heads Back to Japan?
Jake Rossen Jun 15, 2009
After repeatedly refusing to sign short-term deals with talent, UFC
President Dana White gave in and allowed Mirko “Cro
Cop” Filipovic to compete at UFC 99 Saturday on the premise he
would hash out a formal contract later on.
Filipovic battered Mustapha al Turk, thanked the German crowd and then allegedly -- emphasis on the word -- informed White that he had signed with Japanese promotion Dream.
“He f-cked me,” White told Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole. “The first
time in the history of the company I do [a deal] over the phone. He
promised me a three-fight deal and he f-cked me.”
Unfortunately, Iole doesn’t make it clear that Filipovic made a specific and direct statement to White that he had signed elsewhere; Filipovic told foreign press that he had not yet made up his mind and that he wanted to speak to White first. USA Today, meanwhile, confirmed Filipovic’s signing with Dream U.S. rep Mike Kogan.
Short story: No one has any concrete idea what the hell Filipovic is up to.
White’s proctology accusations aside, he didn’t leave the door open to sustain too much embarrassment: Filipovic’s stock dropped precipitously in 2007, and getting one over on Al Turk isn’t quite on the level of beheading a Brock Lesnar or Frank Mir and then looking for the exit.
If “Cro Cop” agreed to one fight and fought one fight, nothing that sinister took place. But his impassioned speeches about “winning the UFC belt or die trying” and assuring White he was here to stay is not likely to win him any new fans if he had no intentions of doing so.
Something has been lost in translation here. Judgment reserved.
Filipovic battered Mustapha al Turk, thanked the German crowd and then allegedly -- emphasis on the word -- informed White that he had signed with Japanese promotion Dream.
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Unfortunately, Iole doesn’t make it clear that Filipovic made a specific and direct statement to White that he had signed elsewhere; Filipovic told foreign press that he had not yet made up his mind and that he wanted to speak to White first. USA Today, meanwhile, confirmed Filipovic’s signing with Dream U.S. rep Mike Kogan.
Short story: No one has any concrete idea what the hell Filipovic is up to.
White’s proctology accusations aside, he didn’t leave the door open to sustain too much embarrassment: Filipovic’s stock dropped precipitously in 2007, and getting one over on Al Turk isn’t quite on the level of beheading a Brock Lesnar or Frank Mir and then looking for the exit.
If “Cro Cop” agreed to one fight and fought one fight, nothing that sinister took place. But his impassioned speeches about “winning the UFC belt or die trying” and assuring White he was here to stay is not likely to win him any new fans if he had no intentions of doing so.
Something has been lost in translation here. Judgment reserved.
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