causisaysso Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 I've seen a lot of highlight clips on Youtube of Cro Cop absolutely kicking the heads off dudes... and yet he hasn't really gone anywhere in UFC, ya? In fact, he got his head nearly kicked off against Gonzaga (sp). Why has such a tough and successful fighter gone no where in the UFC? Is he past his prime? Was it the leg injury he suffered while falling down unconsious in the Gonzaga fight? Was it the brain damage he suffered from Gonzaga's kick? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AssassinNinja Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Past his prime. Plus, I think the competition in the UFC is better. Just means he has a harder time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabie10 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Past his prime. Plus' date=' I think the competition in the UFC is better. Just means he has a harder time.[/quote'] past his prime maybe.. better competition i cant agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffy_handsome Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Does Cro Cop doesn't suck in PRIDE. What's his record there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabie10 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 crocop was 18-4 in pride Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha_Omega Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 I thought about starting a thread about this yesterday. The problem with Cro Cop is not his skills fading, it's not his age and it's not that the competition in the UFC is better. Does anyone really think Al Turk is tougher competition that Randleman or Aleks in Pride? No. Gonzaga better than Fedor or Nogueira? No. The problem is Cro Cop's lack of will to fight. He simply doesn't have the heart or mind to fight the way he did. Who knows why. Maybe it's personal issues. Fighters do have lives outside of fighting. When I saw Cro Cop fight Dos Santos I knew for sure he was not the same man mentally. He basically gave up. The Cro Cop I knew back in 2005 would have never done that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigChamponCampus Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 If you watch Cro Cop back in Pride he liked to take his time, wait until someone made the first move and then set up a vicious counterattack. Counterpunching and waiting until someone got frustrated and stood in front of old lefty for one second too long and then BANG! Lights out. You can't do that in the UFC. The competition in the heavyweight division is going to come hard and keep coming; they're not going to get tired right away or make the mistake of standing around. Since he's been to the UFC I can't think of an occasion where he's actually landed a monstorous head kick, he hasn't had time to set it up or people have gotten wise to him. They've had plenty of time to study. I agree, he has sucked, which is lame because I'm a huge Cro-Cop fan. Dudes a legend. But maybe his time is up, I think if he loses to Rothwell he's in serious danger of getting his walking papers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjameson6969 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Come on he beat a top contender in Al Turk....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSP1g Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 its cuz ufc has way better fighters when fedor seen cro cop get his head kicked off he thought **** that im never joining ufc..and thats why hes in strike force and is gonna re-sign with strike force Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOOGMAN Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 The new breed of HW fighters in the UFC are much bigger than Mirko. IMO Mirko is worried about being taken down and getting GnP by the bigger guys. This fear of being taken down leads him to take the edge off his strikes to ensure his TDD is solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
150dbXfitter Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 I think its a combo of a newer breed of fighters who will actually watch tape on their opponent (because it is more widely available), a lack of TDD and somewhere he has lost the will to fight. He does not move the same or fight the same. That coupled with the level of competition devising battle plans to stay at either medium or short range to negate the ominous kick, the fact that he is one of the smaller HWs and the "ring rust" has him at a loss. Both figuratively and literally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor_Obviously Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Maybe he's claustrophobic. Cage bothers him? Sounds obsurd, but you never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guti Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Noone mentioned this But does anyone think that cropcop is better fighting in a smaller ring rather than a big cage... I strongly believe his kicks are much more effective in a smaller ring , where opponents are in a closer range .. In the ufc the cage makes it easier for the opponents to avoid kicks... It seems to me that crop cop can not find his range , he can not get close enough to connect those legs kicks ... Also like someone else said , cropcop is getting older and his opponents are much bigger than him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordCoSaX Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Basically Cro Cop is 220. He is smaller than many LHW and still fighting at HW. The new breed as we call them are all 240+ and there are now more than one 265+ monsters. The competition in PRIDE wasnt weaker but it was smaller for sure (Nog, Fedor, Randleman, etc) Also, he doesnt really want to fight anymore. He said somewhere after the JDS fight that he was thinking about retirement since he won the Grand Prix in 2005. Then you add the fact that he has been in some wars and under a hard training regimen all his life, you get a guy that is, sadly, past his prime. Not everyone is like Randy. Cro Cop is still a legend. Hope he kicks Rothwell's **** to at least end his carreer on a positive note. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJSMAN Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 The cage is a different animal...and the UFC competition is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casino16 Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 its cuz ufc has way better fighters when fedor seen cro cop get his head kicked off he thought **** that im never joining ufc..and thats why hes in strike force and is gonna re-sign with strike force or maybe cuz strikeforce doesnt treat their fighters like pieces of meat hung up and waiting to be eaten by dana white Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niallohagan Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 probably a few reasons but if he has lost the will to fight then i doubt the cro-cop of old will ever be seen again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UndisputedKing Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 All good points! And it sucks because i too am a huge CRO COP fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mancunianbulldog Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 All good points! And it sucks because i too am a huge CRO COP fan. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remedx Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 because he sucks. you're not going anywhere in the UFC because you can throw a kick. would help if he actually threw that kick in the UFC, actually, instead of sitting there getting punched in the face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrimp_jao Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Competition in the UFC is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daweedy Posted February 3, 2010 Report Share Posted February 3, 2010 Competition in the UFC is better. No way. Why cant noone accept that fighters just get old. And I seriously think that he was changed by the Gonzaga KO and in all honesty who wouldnt be? Like Gonzaga or Kongo are better competition than Barnnet, Nog, Aleks, Wandy, Fedor... You must be deluded to think that. Or you are UFC fanboy who doesnt know anything outside UFC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
causisaysso Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 I am wondering if his leg was what really got injured by Gonzaga's head kick. That looked so nasty, practically twisted backwards. It had to tear all kinds of tendons and ligaments. It wouldn't surprise me if his knee is no longer the same and never will be. If I remember right, most of Cro Cop's head kicks were with his left leg, and it was his right leg that got all mangled in the Gonzaga fight. Perhaps his number one weapon is gone, hard to throw kicks like you used without a leg to stand on, as they saying goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xhojin Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 I've seen a lot of highlight clips on Youtube of Cro Cop absolutely kicking the heads off dudes... and yet he hasn't really gone anywhere in UFC' date=' ya? In fact, he got his head nearly kicked off against Gonzaga (sp). Why has such a tough and successful fighter gone no where in the UFC? Is he past his prime? Was it the leg injury he suffered while falling down unconsious in the Gonzaga fight? Was it the brain damage he suffered from Gonzaga's kick? Just curious.[/quote'] The answer is simple. MMA has evolved a LOT. The level of competition and skill is much greater then it once was. That means that a fighter who was great yesterday, isn't necessarily going to be great today. Crocop hasn't evolved to keep pace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha_Omega Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 because he sucks. you're not going anywhere in the UFC because you can throw a kick. would help if he actually threw that kick in the UFC' date=' actually, instead of sitting there getting punched in the face.[/quote'] Well known fact, the commission approved US canvas is much more slippery than that of the mats in Japan. Something Mark Coleman struggle with, as well. Hard to throw a kick on a slippery canvas. For those saying he hasn't evolved, seriously look at the HW division now. Cain = one dimensional wrestler. Brock = one dimensional wrestler. Carwin = GnP or big right hand. JDS = basically a modern day cro cop but more of a boxer than a kick boxer. The competition in the UFC is not better or more evolved than that Cro Cop faced in Pride. He just doesn't have the mindset or heart to be a top fighter anymore. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
causisaysso Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 If he really doesn't have the heart or mindset anymore, then it seems like suicide for him to step in the ring. You don't really feel like playing basketball but you do anyway, nothing happens. You don't really want to fight MMA but you do anyway, Gonzaga happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BESERKER Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Well known fact' date=' the commission approved US canvas is much more slippery than that of the mats in Japan. Something Mark Coleman struggle with, as well. Hard to throw a kick on a slippery canvas. For those saying he hasn't evolved, seriously look at the HW division now. Cain = one dimensional wrestler. Brock = one dimensional wrestler. Carwin = GnP or big right hand. JDS = basically a modern day cro cop but more of a boxer than a kick boxer. The competition in the UFC is not better or more evolved than that Cro Cop faced in Pride. He just doesn't have the mindset or heart to be a top fighter anymore. Period.[/quote'] +1 .. nailed by the master_omega Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MusicIzMySavior Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 because he lacks any ground game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dairzy_horne Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 his knee is fine, he hardly hurt his knee in the gonzaga fight because when you get knocked out your body goes limp and your legs and arms can bend all types of ways without much damage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
causisaysso Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 If he hardly hurt that twisted around knee then call the Vatican, cause that's a friggin' miracle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K22UFC Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 because he lacks any ground game Well you dont really need one if you have the takedown defence that he has and I think its that he has just gone past his prime. No stomps and no knees to the head have also made it harder for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toadstoolicious Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 maybe all these come to play....past his prime, younger opponents, slippery canvass etc. Fact is Cro Cop is one tough dude in Pride. He was feared in Pride and knowing that he's in the UFC now, obviously all his opponents would do their homework to neutralize Cro Cop's no.1 weapon...his kick. Most of his opponents have been staying out of his range. It sucks but its the smartes thing to do. I would do to if i was fighting Mirko. Just imagine being kicked with that leg.....even if you defend it. It would still leave bruises the size of Texas. So i would avoid it at all cost and at the same time, look for openings. When a fighter can't use his main weapon, he gets desperate and would leave an opening. That's what happened most of his fights in the UFC. Plus, he may just lack the motivation to fight. Like Hughes, Liddell to name a few. Couture is a different story. His determination and motivation is what drives him. That's why he's still winning and why everyone loves him. But whatever happens...im still a Cro Cop fan all the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MMA_Spawn Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 The answer is simple. MMA has evolved a LOT. The level of competition and skill is much greater then it once was. That means that a fighter who was great yesterday' date=' isn't necessarily going to be great today. Crocop hasn't evolved to keep pace.[/quote'] ^This^ & Plus, he operated better with the rules in Pride versus those in the UFC (i.e., kick and knee a downed opponent), better in a ring and comes from an organization where there was more stand-up and less risk of being taken down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
causisaysso Posted February 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 I still think he was hurt worse in that Gonzaga fight than some people think. I don't see how that knee could ever get back to 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirko4life Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 All the wars he fought caught up to him. He's just not the killer he used to be. When he used to throw a kick or a punch, it was with bad intentions. Now it looks like he's just throwing it out there. And he was already starting to lose a little of it in the Mark Hunt fight, then he got back into it for the Grand Prix, and out of it again when he came to the UFC. People who are saying it's because competition is better are just ignorant. You can make an argument to say that the current top HW in the UFC are somewhat better than the HW pride had(but even then it's hard). But saying Gonzaga and Kongo are better than Pride's HW is just funny. JDS is about equal to what Pride had. Hopefully, the loss to JDS fired him up again and newer fans as well as the older ones can see why no one wanted to stand with Cro Cop. He said himself he made drastic changes to his camp for his UFC 110 fight. He's training with Ivan Hippolyte and goes to Netherlands to train with better partners. Only good can come out of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SgtCroCop Posted February 4, 2010 Report Share Posted February 4, 2010 Reasons for poor performance. 1. Age He has been actively training since he was a teenager non stop (his words) 2. Injuries (he made a very quick recovery from a big time injury) 3. Lost his mojo,"IT", his killer mentality is gone 4. Lost his motivation for fighting 5. transition from ring to cage All that being said, he still is a very good striker, he did hurt(cut) dos santos a few times that fight, and he still has that potential to end a fight quickly. Hopefully he has recommited himself, if not, its been a hell of a career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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