Cro Cop talks about being kinda shy
“Maybe you can say a part of it is shy, but I don’t know. I never liked it,” said Mirko Filipovic. “I never liked to be a person in the center. I don’t know why.”
If you are not a Cro Cop fan, what are you doing here? And if you are a Cro Cop fan, skip the brief excerpts below, and click the link at bottom to read the entire terrific interview by Loretta Hunt.
You probably know a lot about how Cro Cop kicks, but far less about what makes him tick.
Hunt asked why he has historically been so reticent.
“Maybe you can say a part of it is shy, but I don’t know. I never liked it,” said Filipovic. “Maybe it’s not good for the business, but that’s how I am. At least I’m honest. I always hated to be in the bold lights. That’s my business: to go on the stage and the whole arena is staring at me. I like training; I like fighting. I’m a true sportsman and really professional. But I never liked to be a person in the center. I don’t know why.”
“So many people are calling for interviews and I’m refusing everyone. My life story has been told many times. Everybody who’s following the sport knows how I started.”
“Many people, especially journalists, think I’m complicated, but I’m not. I just don’t like some things. Too much is too much sometimes. Sometimes I’m in a bad mood. I’m in a very good mood today. I’ll answer any questions you have.”
“There was a rumor that the UFC is coming to Croatia. I checked with the UFC, and they said they’ve talked about it but haven’t made a decision yet. Of course I would like to participate if the UFC came to Zagreb. It would have to be a rematch like Gonzaga, Dos Santos. Those are the fights that would really push me to train the best that I can and help my revenge. But life is life, and who knows what will happen?”
“The day I stop fighting, I’ll keep training ’til the end of my life. Every day I will train. Every day. Jogging, riding a bicycle, that keeps me alive. If somebody offered me hundreds of millions of dollars — ‘It’s yours, but you will have to stop training.’ Thank you very much, I don’t need it. Part of me will always stay with martial arts, but let’s wait for my final goodbye from competition. But believe me, I only have sweet worries.”
“Believe me, I’ve been thinking of (what to do after retiring from fighting) for the last ten years already. I think I was smart enough not to throw the money from the window and, I dare to say, on my way of living. I really think me and my family live humbly. I’ve secured my life, and I won’t have to open the newspaper and be looking for work. What I’m going to do? I don’t know. I’ve made some investments during my career that I’m happy with, so my life, talking financially, is definitely OK. People ask me if I’m going to open a school. Why not? I think I should. Maybe not a typical school where anyone can come but with young fighters definitely one day. I don’t have the nerves for amateurs.”