UFC 115 (June 12)

Main Card:
Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin - Light Heavyweights (205)
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović vs. Pat Barry - Heavyweights (206-265)
Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann - Welterweights (170)
Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel - Heavyweights (206-265)
Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald - Welterweights (170)

Free on SPIKE TV:
Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham - Lightweights (155)
Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman - Lightweights (155)

My picks:
Rich Franklin via UD
Cro Cop via 2nd Rd TKO
Thiago via UD
Rothwell via 1st Rd KO
Condit via 3rd Rd SUB
Griffin via 2nd Rd KO
Wiman via UD

As great as Cro Cop's career has been, I'm a little surprised that he's fighting again in the UFC at this point. Didn't he quit in his last fight and was KOd in the fight before his last?

CasperJames said:

As great as Cro Cop's career has been, I'm a little surprised that he's fighting again in the UFC at this point. Didn't he quit in his last fight and was KOd in the fight before his last?

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He won his last fight.. the doctor stopped it after the end the 2nd round because he tore up his opponent pretty badly.

The fight before that, he was "TKO'd" by Junior dos Santos (who is a top heavyweight), when he covered his eye and the ref stepped in.. but he was arguing that he got poked in the eye.

Before that fight, he TKO'd Mustapha Al-Turk.. Al-Turk's not a great fighter, but it's still a TKO win.

He's 2-1 since returning to the UFC last year after his first 1-2 run in the UFC in 2007. So, he has a total 3-3 record in the UFC.

I don't think Cro Cop is as good of a fighter as he was in Pride.. but he's starting to find a new nitch again, and getting better since he was ko'd by Gonzaga's head kick in 2007.

I'll have to watch that Junior Dos Santos fight again I guess. I thought sure I remembered Cro Cop telling the ref he couldn't continue because of an eye injury. That's the fight I thought he quit.

I just watched the fight on Youtube and the ref asked Cro Cop if he was alright and it appeared that Cro Cop said he could not continue. He didn't argue when the ref said it was over.

CasperJames said:

I just watched the fight on Youtube and the ref asked Cro Cop if he was alright and it appeared that Cro Cop said he could not continue. He didn't argue when the ref said it was over.

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"Dos Santos punched me in the eye and tore my eye lid," Filipovic said. "Blood and sweat completely blurred my vision. I was standing there like a blind man. At one moment I confused my opponent and the referee. I didn't stop it and I didn't ask the judge to stop it. But it wasn't an early stoppage, he won that fight and would have won it by decision. Simply put, he is younger, more hungry, more aggressive. He wanted to win a lot more. I landed a few good shots and cut above his eye but all together I failed big time."

http://www.fiveknuckles.com/mma-news/Mirko-Cro-Cop-talks-retirement.html

I thought I remembered him being poked in the eye.. but I guess not. He was actually punched in the eye pretty good. Cro Cop didn't actually give up.. but it was ruled a submission. The ref stopped it, because he couldn't continue, because he was actually blind in that eye after the punch. It should have been ruled a TKO.

imo though, if Cro Cop wants to keep fighting at the level that he's fighting at, he should drop down to light heavyweight. He is a very small heavyweight (220 lbs.).. being surrounded by heavyweight giants like Lesnar, Carwin, Gonzaga, and others... he could easily drop the extra 15 lbs.

I still have him beating Pat Barry, though.. Cro Cop is trying to find his niche again, and he is a lot more experienced than Barry is, and I think that will be a big factor in this fight. They are about equal size.. Cro Cop being a bit smaller, while Barry is about 10 lbs heavier.

Tonight!

ufc

so who thought the fights were really that good? a little dissapointed for tito vs chuck I really would of like to see that fight. So did Franklin live up to a good substitute?

illgetuonce said:

so who thought the fights were really that good? a little dissapointed for tito vs chuck I really would of like to see that fight. So did Franklin live up to a good substitute?

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Yes, he KOd Chuck and more than likely sent him into retirement. I read somewhere that he did so with a broken arm too.

Lesnar Vs Carwin July 3rd!

haven been around much lately and missed the thread but def saw the fights!!!

Cro Cop looked incredible as did Franklin..UFC 116 is where its at though...god i cant wait for carwain

I don't know if Franklin really looked "incredible" in that fight.. he looked good.. but Chuck may have been winning the fight until Franklin caught him with that small hook on the chin.... it wasn't even a big punch.. just caught Chuck on the button.. same place all the others who knocked Chuck out hit him at. I'm a fan of both Rich and Chuck's.. but I hope that fight convinces Chuck that he should retire.. for his own sake.

As for Rich.. it will be interesting to see who he fights next.. I would like to see Rich vs. Forrest or against Randy Couture.... Rich Franklin vs. Forrest Griffin would be a nice assessment to see where Rich stands in the light heavyweight division.. as would a Rich Franklin vs. Thiago Silva fight.