Cro Cop: I’ll avenge Gonzaga loss or ‘die trying’
Mirko Cro Cop: “I can’t say I will beat him, but I will die trying. That’s how I feel. I feel good right now. There are a few things I still want to do and definitely fighting Gabriel Gonzaga is one of them.”
When Mirko Cro Cop first debuted in the UFC in 2007, he did so with high expectations following a successful career in PRIDE. He won his first fight by impressive TKO, but in his second fight fought grappler Gabriel Gonzaga and lost by all ways, a head kick knockout, his own signature move. Eight years later the two are set up for a rematch at the UFC’s debut in Poland, and Cro Cop is intent on getting that win back from Gonzaga:
“It was one of the fights I will never forget, and I just want a rematch with him,” Cro Cop told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “I can’t say I will beat him, but I will die trying. That’s how I feel. I feel good right now. There are a few things I still want to do and definitely fighting Gabriel Gonzaga is one of them.”
Cro Cop (30-11-2, 1 NC), the former PRIDE grand prix winner and K-1 champion, would have gotten a UFC heavyweight title shot with a winner over Gonzaga at UFC 70 on April 21, 2007. Most people know what happened next — the Croatian star was knocked out with his own trademark move: a left head kick.
After that, Cro Cop, now 40, had a mediocre run in the UFC, going 3-6. He calls the defeat against Gonzaga the worst of his storied career.
“I really believe that I’m a better fighter than Gabriel Gonzaga,” Cro Cop said. “I don’t want to be a big mouth and I respect him. He’s a great fighter. But I will do my best, definitely. He will do his best. We are going to perform a great show and the fans will be happy.”