Slimmer Nelson bests legendary Cro Cop
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic entered the Octagon for the final time tonight at UFC 137.
While the former PRIDE champion was bested by TUF winner Roy Nelson, it was a slugfest from start to finish. After both fighters were stunned, wobbled and dropped, Nelson finally found the Croatian’s button in the third round. A Nelson right hand put Filipovic down and before he could recover, “Big Country” flattened him out from the back and pounded out the stoppage.
The win stops a two fight slide for Nelson. After dropping back to back unanimous decision losses to Junior dos Santos and former champion Frank Mir, the win over Filipovic sets him back on track in an increasingly tough division. Known for his iron chin, Nelson once again displayed his toughness after a second round flurry by Filipovic appeared to have him in trouble. In his post fight interview, he took a page out of Chael Sonnen’s book and made a play for the UFC heavyweight championship.
For MMA legend Cro Cop, the night was bittersweet as he officially announced his retirement. The crowd in Las Vegas let their love be heard as he made his exit from the cage and while the result wasn’t in his favor, the gritty performance gave MMA fans what they wanted to see.