Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic Re-Signs with UFC

At 40 years old, Mirko Filipovic will embark on his third UFC run. | Photo: Daniel Herbertson/Sherdog.com

Ultimate Fighting Championship officials Tuesday confirmed that Filipovic has inked a new deal with the UFC. John Joe O’Regan first reported the news.

The move comes days after Bellator MMA President Scott Coker expressed interest in signing the Croatian veteran.

A former Pride star, Filipovic first joined the UFC in 2007 but exited just seven months later after dropping two of his three fights. Cro Cop returned in 2009 for a seven-bout stint which ended in 2011 after consecutive losses to Frank Mir, Brendan Schaub and Roy Nelson.

Since his last UFC departure, the 40-year-old has split his time between mixed martial arts and kickboxing. He holds a 3-1 MMA record over the past two years, including a pair of stoppage wins over Japanese prospect Satoshii Ishii under the Inoki Genome Fight banner.