Haven’t we been here before?
At the beginning of 2017, following his Rizin Open Weight Grand Prix victory, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic announced his retirement… again.
He had announced his retirement several times in the past, but in January, he was adamant, this time it would stick.
“The only option remains some farewell fight, but this is only if I rehabilitate my knee. I never want to go through what I went through during the preparation for this tournament. I know that I have often said I am ending my career, but this is really the end.”
Only, that wasn’t exactly true. It may have been his thinking at the time, but now, according to Rizin Fighting Federation boss Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Cro Cop is once again ready to resume his career… and not just for a farewell fight or two.
“The RIZIN GP 2016 winner Mirko Cro Cop will be returning to the RIZIN ring after a year. He has decided to fight in front of his beloved Japanese fans a few more times before he retires,” wrote Sakakibara on Instagram.
“He would like to continue to face meaningful opponents until he hangs his gloves. Keep an eye out for Mirko’s final chapter.”
At 43 years of age, Cro Cop’s storied career already spans more than two decades, includes multiple championships in both mixed martial arts and kickboxing, and nearly 100 bouts. There’s really not much more that he has left to accomplish, but maybe he’s just not done yet.
