Looks like Cro Cop is out of the GP *now back in*

LastExit34 · 08-06-2006, 12:12 AM

It appears that Cro Cop is having a dispute over pay and has decided to walk from the GP. There is a short article on sherdog about it with many to follow I would assume.

http://www.sherdog.com/news/news.asp?n_id=5219

SeikanJudanski · 08-06-2006, 12:15 AM

Now I know what he was talking about fighting in the states very soon, WFA must have made the killer offer. Of all people, Mirko, who said he would stand behind Pride in these tough times.

angryjonny · 08-06-2006, 12:35 AM

This sucks. Although I'm not surprised it is happened. Like Seikan said I didn't think Mirko would be the first to walk. If Mirko does in fact go to WFA that will be hugeness to the max.

DrumzCT · 08-06-2006, 01:23 AM

That would be insane for the WFA to get arguably the 3rd best heavyweight in the world.

AikaImmortal · 08-06-2006, 01:47 AM

The WFA will go broke if they get him tho. At least I can still count on Ultraman to show up when I need him eh?

MMA freak · 08-06-2006, 01:59 AM

I'm infuriated. I was looking to a Nogueira and Crocop rematch in the finals. Also if Crocop won he could have faught Fedor in a rematch which the first match he took Fedor to the distance. Completely dissapointed. Now I think whoever wins Barnett and Nogueira basically wins the tourny. I wonder who will replace Crocop. Maybe Aleksander, Sergei, Fabricio, who knows but I'm not very pleased. Is Crocop leaving Pride forever because no ever business in MMA will pay him as much as PRIDE did and they will go bankrupt if they pay him more than 150,000 a fight like said in the article.

AikaImmortal · 08-06-2006, 02:07 AM

K-1 offered 400,000 a fight from what I hear

MMA freak · 08-06-2006, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AikaImmortal

K-1 offered 400,000 a fight from what I hear

Well, it looks like he is going there then. A lot of people always say if a PRIDE fighter leaves PRIDE they go to UFC but that is not true at all. Usually they end up in K-1 or some other big shot Japan MMA/Kickboxing organization. Crocop would do good in K-1 I think with all those kicks and stuff. But I'm not a big K-1 fan and rarely watch it except for Kid, Genki, and Ray Sefo.

Harms · 08-06-2006, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMA freak

I'm infuriated. I was looking to a Nogueira and Crocop rematch in the finals. Also if Crocop won he could have faught Fedor in a rematch which the first match he took Fedor to the distance. Completely dissapointed. Now I think whoever wins Barnett and Nogueira basically wins the tourny. I wonder who will replace Crocop. Maybe Aleksander, Sergei, Fabricio, who knows but I'm not very pleased. Is Crocop leaving Pride forever because no ever business in MMA will pay him as much as PRIDE did and they will go bankrupt if they pay him more than 150,000 a fight like said in the article.

To be fair, it was 150000 for 2 fights.

subgenius · 08-06-2006, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angryjonny

This sucks. Although I'm not surprised it is happened. Like Seikan said I didn't think Mirko would be the first to walk. If Mirko does in fact go to WFA that will be hugeness to the max.

I thought that Sakuraba was the first to walk?

Still, it does surprise me that Mirko is fighting for the WFA.

angryjonny · 08-06-2006, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by subgenius

I thought that Sakuraba was the first to walk?

Still, it does surprise me that Mirko is fighting for the WFA.

Yeah I guess technically he was but Sakuraba conveniently left before all this bs happened and he also wasn't in a contract dispute.

SmashingMachine · 08-06-2006, 05:20 PM

I think the WFA's going to bury themselves before they really get off the ground if they're not careful...how can they afford to keep on buying up all these expensive fighters with little popularity to the general public?

Jras0001 · 08-06-2006, 06:49 PM

I think that if the WFA continues to put on shows like it's last one, they wont have a problem at all. That was a great show with the only dissapointment was kimo failing the pee pee test. If they get Cro Cop in the mix and possibly a few other names, they could put on some phenominal shows, unlike the last and upcoming UFC's shows, who argualbly only has one or two matches between them that are worth paying for. Granted, the 62 show hasnt happened yet but just by looking at who's on it, other than the main event, it looks like its going to be a bust. I still plan on getting it and hope for the best though...

SmashingMachine · 08-06-2006, 10:40 PM

I thought the show was great too and I think Cro Cop would be an excellent addition. What I'm saying is the WFA doesn't have the fan base the UFC has, or attendance or PPV sales, so based on that I think they run the chance of burning themselves out before they get going by blowing their wad of cash before they build up a huge following in the States.

Mulla · 08-07-2006, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMA freak

Crocop would do good in K-1 I think with all those kicks and stuff.

Crocop originally fought in K1 before he crossed over to Pride.

Gygax · 08-07-2006, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmashingMachine

I thought the show was great too and I think Cro Cop would be an excellent addition. What I'm saying is the WFA doesn't have the fan base the UFC has, or attendance or PPV sales, so based on that I think they run the chance of burning themselves out before they get going by blowing their wad of cash before they build up a huge following in the States.

That would be my big concern as well. They put on a pretty good show for their first effort back, but they spent a ton of money for top name talent and alot of advertising. The live gate was pretty poor, some estimates of less than 4000 paid, and the PPV buyrate was said to be poor as well.

Organizations are better off starting off on a smaller scale and bulding a better product than the competition. In the case of MMA, more like what the IFL is doing than the WFA. Signing monster stars and trying to compete with the biggest organization right off the bat is rarely successful. For example, the USFL to the NFL.

Back on topic, the CroCop situation just further illustrates the problems Pride is having. And if the rumored payout of $150,000 for winning the OW Grand Prix is true, that is pretty pitiful for having to fight two fights in one night against the likes of Silva, Big Nog, and Barnett. You rarely heard people complain about contracts in Pride, but first they don't re-sign their own legend Sak, don't get it done with Jackson, have a small blowout with Silva that ultimately allows him to sign to fight in the UFC before getting him back on board, and now may lose CroCop on the eve of one of their biggest events, the OWGP semis and finals. Pride really may be in huge financial trouble as has been speculated.

Ultimately, CroCop may sign back up with Pride in time for the OWGP, just as happened with Silva when he had his contract squabble earlier this year.

subgenius · 08-07-2006, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mulla

Crocop originally fought in K1 before he crossed over to Pride.

I think the original poster meant that Cro-Cop could go to K-1 MMA. It is true that Mirko Filipovic was once in K-1, but that was K-1 Kickboxing. Mirko has not ever fought in the K-1 MMA promotion.

Thrash13 · 08-07-2006, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gygax

For example, the USFL to the NFL.

That is a great comparison, and that's exactly the road the WFA will be headed down soon. I definitely don't think they started the organization the right way, but maybe things will work out.

As for the news on CroCop, it's pretty shocking for me to hear. I'm a big fan of having MMA in the US, but what the heck does CroCop have to prove in the WFA? Nobody can even touch the guy. I know the money is great and all, but when does "being the best" come into play? I thought Mirko was more of a competitor than that, but we will see I suppose.

The UFC's HW division isn't great, but it's better than anything other than Pride. It's a little mind blowing to say the least. Hopefully he gets things worked out to at least finish the OWGP. You just don't walk out on a tournament like that.

subgenius · 08-07-2006, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrash13

That is a great comparison, and that's exactly the road the WFA will be headed down soon. I definitely don't think they started the organization the right way, but maybe things will work out.

As for the news on CroCop, it's pretty shocking for me to hear. I'm a big fan of having MMA in the US, but what the heck does CroCop have to prove in the WFA? Nobody can even touch the guy. I know the money is great and all, but when does "being the best" come into play? I thought Mirko was more of a competitor than that, but we will see I suppose.

The UFC's HW division isn't great, but it's better than anything other than Pride. It's a little mind blowing to say the least. Hopefully he gets things worked out to at least finish the OWGP. You just don't walk out on a tournament like that.

I have to admit that walking out on the tournament was a bit odd to me. I'm a huge fan of Cro-Cop. But, I wish that he stayed long enough to finish what he started. I think Mirko has been listening to the wrong people that give him advice. They likely think that Mirko could make more money in the US, and that the WFA fights may just be testing the water. I think that the PR people are trying to sell Mirko in America.

Maybe Cro-Cop is tired of Japan. American culture is likely more accessible to Mirko. Culture in America is more like European culture than Japan. This was the reason that I have said that Andre Arlovski seems to want to stay in the US and fight in the UFC. It is easier to assimulate and to be accepted by American audiences for Russian and European fighters. Of course, that is not a scientific fact or anything, but it seems to fit.

Mirko Filipovic would dominate HW MMA in North America, and he would be the UFC HW champion quickly, IMO. I think that the UFC would pay top dollar for Mirko Filipovic. But, I wonder if the UFC HW title is what Mirko really wants. I mean, he has said in interviews that it was his dream to get the PRIDE FC HW title. Has he abandonded that dream?

Crashsti · 08-07-2006, 10:47 AM

i have no idea what CroCop is thinking. for of all he fights way too often in Pride, one year he fought more than 6 times. after the KO by Randleman he fought again only 2 weeks later and had a terrible going against a second rate opponent. he goes on the record later on in his career that his fighting is not so much about the money but being the best in the world, in other words, beating Fedor. if he leaves Pride he will never get that chance. maybe CroCop knows something we don't.