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July 01st, 2006
Crocop strikes again. In the 1st round referee stopped the fight after several Crocop's low kicks delivered to Yoshidas left leg. With that win Crocop qualified for the Pride OWGP Finals where he will be facing Silva, Nogueira or Barnett, September 10th.
June 29th, 2006
Big collection of videos has been added to our video clips pege. Feel free to check it out.
June 28th, 2006
Mirko departured for Japan today with his manager Zvonimir Lucic and sparring partner Igor Pokrajac. Here is what Mirko said about upcoming fight:
"This fight is a big challenge for me. My fathers big dream was to see me at the Olympics, unfortunately my sport isn't Olympic, but I am going to beat an Olympic champion. I have been training for five weeks with BJJ master, all of my sparring partners were wearing GI, because I expect Yoshida to do so. I have big hunger for this fight and I don't have any doubts in outcome of this fight."
"Yoshida is far more popular and experienced than any of Japanese fighers. To be honest, I don't see any dificulties in a fact that every fight brings another style to adapt. That's the best part of mma, because the fighter has to be all rounder, on the ground or stand up, whatever. Maybe someone finds it difficult to prepare each time on a different kind of style, but to me it is an awesome feeling."
Mirko expects Silva or Minotaur in the finals, and in Hunt-Barnett fight Mirko gives the advantage to Barnett.
June 9th, 2006
In second round of Pride Open Weight Grand Prix Mirko will face Hidehiko Yoshida, judo specialist from Japan.

   
Name Hidehiko Yoshida
Record W-L-D 7 - 3 - 1
Height 5'11 (180cm)
Weight 225lbs (102kg)
Style Judo
Birth date 9/3/1969
City Obu, Aichi
Country Japan
   Hidehiko Yoshida was born in Obu, Aichi, Japan. He won the gold medal in Judo (78kg class) at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He is known for his great grappling ability and strong chin, having never been submitted or knocked out in an MMA bout. Yoshida is one of the few fighters who still wears a gi when he fights. His notable victories in MMA include armbar submissions over Don Frye and K-1 champion Mark Hunt (in a twist of fate Mark Hunt went on to overcome Wanderlei Silva, Yoshida´s fiercer adversary to date). In August 2005, he defeated David "Tank" Abbott by submission.
   Some Brazilian fighters have been nemeses of Yoshida. Each time Yoshida participated in a PRIDE tournament, he lost to the Middleweight champion, Wanderlei Silva, first by unanimous decision at the Final Conflict event on November 9, 2003, and later by split decision at the Total Elimination event on April 23, 2005. Another tough opponent is Royce Gracie, a well-known Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter and winner of the first UFC tournament. In their first encounter, Yoshida won by a controversial referee stoppage; the referee believed that Gracie had been choked out on the ground, thus stopping fight, but Gracie jumped up immediately at the time and claimed that he was fully conscious. As a result, Gracie requested for a rematch in which the referee could not stop the fight. The rematch, which took place at PRIDE's Shockwave 2003 event on December 31, 2003, technically resulted in a draw since neither fighter submitted or was knocked out within the time allotted (Gracie spent much of the latter part of the fight attacking Yoshida from a back mount, with Yoshida defending the attacks). The draw, however, can be attributed to a lack of official judging, a stipulation requested by Gracie.
April 13th, 2006
Read the Nobuyuki Sakakibara announcement here and Ikuhisa Minowa interview here
April 4th, 2006
On Pride Open Weight Grand Prix scheduled May 5th, Mirko will face Ikuhisa Minowa.
 
Name Ikuhisa Minowa
Nickname The Punk
Record W-L-D 32 - 23 - 8
Association Brazilian Top Team
Height 5'9 (175cm)
Weight 181lbs (82kg)
Style Puroresu
Birth date 01/12/1976
City Gifu
Country Japan

 
Ikuhisa Minowa is one of Japan's most exciting middleweight fighters. This high-flying talent comes from a background in professional wrestling and from there he began his career in mixed martial arts. He is comfortable fighting on his feet, though his true strengths are in his takedowns and grappling skills. Because of his all-around game, Minowa has gained a reputation as a "tricky" fighter because he is able to transition seamlessly between both fighting styles and is able to trick his opponents into giving up bad positions. Though he is of Japanese decent, Minowa has recently moved to Brazil and joined the Brazilian Top Team. From there he continues to hone his skills and improve as a fighter. His nickname of "the punk" comes from his love of Japanese punk rock!
      Minowa is a popular fighter in the PRIDE Fighting Championships due to his entertaining entrances and sporting of the Japanese flag as a cape as well as his aggressive, high-risk style of fighting which has seen him employ flying dropkicks amongst other pro-wrestling derived manuevers. Originally beginning his career in the Pancrase 176-pound division, he has since taken on fighters at 205 lb and over. Minowa is also known for odd training methods, which include dodging baseballs and training in environments such as rivers. He has trained Muay Thai in Thailand, submission wrestling in Japan, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil with the Brazilian Top Team. Minowa has won against the likes of Golden Glory member Gilbert Yvel, K-1 kickboxer Stefan Leko, and UFC fighters Kimo Leopoldo and Phil Baroni. Minowa is known for his grappling and submission skills, having won 19 matches via submission. He recently participated PRIDE Fighting Championships first 185lb Tournament where he made up for a previous loss to Phil Baroni, but would lose in the second round to former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mentor Murilo Bustamante. On December 31, 2005 Minowa fought PRIDE legend Kazushi Sakuraba, in which he almost landed a heel hook, but was caught with a Kimura lock and defeated at 9 minutes into the first round. In Pride Bushido 10 he stopped Giant Silva with knees to the face and body.
January 4th, 2006
Pride Shockwave 2005 was unlucky for Crocop. Mark Hunt won the fight by split 2-1 decision. That is Crocop's fourth loss in Pride rings.
December 14th, 2005
Mark Hunt made the following statement in response to Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic , whom he will face on the PRIDE card on December 31st.

"I'm very excited that I will be able to fight in PRIDE again after a year. And my opponent will be Mirko. I've traded punched with him in the K-1 ring but, unfortunately, I lost by decision. This time, we will see which of us is the strongest in the PRIDE ring. I've spent the last year preparing to fight in PRIDE and I think I will be able to give the fans my best performance. I will just say this, I've never lost a revenge match before. I've always gotten my revenge. I will beat him so badly that he will never want to fight Mr. Hunt, the Samoan monster, again. I'm going to make minced meat of Mirko."
December 6th, 2005
According to the media Mirko will fight Mark Hunt on upcoming PRIDE Shockwave 2005 scheduled for December 31st, 2005. Mirko and Hunt already know each other from the rings, they fought on K-1 Nagoya Grand Prix in 2002 where Mirko won by unanimous decision in a 3 round match.
 

    
Name Mark Hunt
Record W-L-D 2 - 1 - 0
Association Liverpool Kickboxing
Height 5'10 (178cm)
Weight 250lbs (113kg)
Style Kickboxing
Birth date 3-23-1974
Country New Zealand
   
Mark Hunt is a kickboxer from New Zealand. He is famous for his ability to take a punch. He also won K-1 WORLD GP tournament in 2001. He was the first non-European kickboxer to win the K-1 WORLD GP.
      Mark Hunt is short for a heavyweight kickboxer, standing only 5'10" (178cm) tall for 113Kg. He also shows immense striking power, indeed, he was asked to compete in muay thai after bouncers witnessed him in a streetfight.
       He is currently competing in mixed martial arts events in PRIDE. His first fight in was a submission loss to Hidehiko Yoshida. In his second fight, he defeated Daniel Bobbish by TKO. In his most recent fight, he defeated middle-weight champion Wanderlei Silva by split decision. Since Mark Hunt is a heavyweight, his win over Silva did not earn him the middleweight championship. As his skills improve, many observers believe Mark Hunt will become a force in the PRIDE Fighting Championships.
TITLES:  WKBF Australian Champion, K-1 The area preliminary tournament in Oceania 2000 & 2001 Champion, K-1 WORLD GP 2001 in Melbourne 3rd place, K-1 WORLD GP 2001 in Fukuoka Champion and K-1 WORLD GP 2001 Champion
December 2nd, 2005
Read the interview from Pedro Rizzo and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira with some comments about Crocop and Fedor Emalianenko HERE
October 24th, 2005
In our video section you can find 8 full fights available for download. Enjoy.
Watch the post fight interviews with Mirko here and Barnett's here.
October 23rd, 2005
Mirko won over Josh Barnett on unanimous decision after 3 round match. Mirko will start training for his next fight with Mark Hunt as soon as he comes back in Croatia.
October 20th, 2005
Mirko departured for Japan today. According to puroresupower Mirko spent his last days training with pro boxer Yosuke Nishijima who was send by DSE to train with Mirko.
October 09th, 2005
Mirko will fight Josh Barnett October 23rd on PRIDE "Fully loaded".

Name Josh Barnett
Nickname The Babyface Assassin
Record W-L-D 15 - 2 - 0
Association New Japan Pro Wrestling/AMC Pankration
Height 6'3 (190cm)
Weight 250lbs (113kg)
Style Pro Wrestling
Birth date 11/10/77
City Seattle
State Washington
Country USA
Career Highlights
  • Defeats Juha Tuhkasaari, John Marsh, and Bobby Hoffman to win the SuperBrawl 13 heavyweight tournament
  • Beats Dan Severn at SuperBrawl 16 by submission
  • Fights Pedro Rizzo at UFC 30 in his big break-through fight
  • Defeats Semmy Schilt by submission at UFC 32
  • Captures the UFC Heavyweight title by defeating Randy Couture at UFC 36
  • Hands Jimmy Ambriz his first career loss at the' NJPW - Ultimate Crush' event in May of 2003
  • Submits Yuki Kondo at the 'Pancrase 10th Anniversary Show' to become the King of Pancrase Openweight Champion
  • Submits Yoshiki Takahashi at the' NJPW - Ultimate Crush' event in October of 2003
  • Gets a submission victory over Semmy Schilt at the 'Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003-Inoki Festival' event
Striking
Although Josh Barnett is a powerful fighter, his strikes do not seem as though they are as strong as they could be. He usually throws his share of punches, but is quite cautious about exchanging them. Barnett prefers to take his opponents to the ground, where he can then deliver forearm strikes and knees to punish them.
Grappling
Barnett is a strong guy, who is good with takedowns and solid on the ground. It seems, no matter who he is fighting, he is quite capable of obtaining his desired position. He is comfortable in the the mount or the guard positions. Positioning is very important to a grappler like Barnett and he will often use his grappling abilities to create openings to ground and pound his opponent or setup the submission
Submission
A really smart submission fighter, Barnett works well from any position. Barnett is an extremely well rounded competitor who possesses great speed and agility for a man of his size. His submission arsenal is extensive and he is capable of submitting his opponents through the use of multiple submissions including kimuras, straight arm bars, and chokes.
Strengths
Barnett can really do it all and he's well-versed stylistically. He possesses the ability to pound people standing, tear them down and finish them with a quick submission or a barrage of punches.
Weaknesses
Despite all his skill, Barnett's appearance can lead one to question his conditioning. Although Barnett sports a soft midsection complete with love handles, he rarely shows signs of fatigue. One could also say he gets drawn into stand up battles when he should take things to the mat, but he has managed to survive most of those battles as well. 
Conclusion
The UFC was a great place for Josh Barnett. It challenged him with solid opposition and made him one of the most formidable fighters in the sport. Aside from his exciting style, obvious progression and crowd-centric promos, Barnett brought the closest thing to a story line in the UFC we have seen outside of Pride.
Barnett had comeback from defeat, beaten a variety of opponents to become an underdog champion only to have his belt taken away after testing positive for anabolic steroids. Barnett left the UFC shortly thereafter.
Josh has since competed for a number of well known organizations such as Pride, K-1, and Pancrase. Josh has also found success as a professional wrestler in the New Japan Pro Wrestling organization.

mmareview.com
August 29th, 2005
According to the media Crocop's manager has arranged two more fights for this year. October 30th Mirko will fight Josh Barnett and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira on December 31st.
August 28th, 2005
Mirko was stopped on his way to the Pride HW belt. Emalianenko Fedor won by unanimous decision in a 3 round fight.
After the fight Mirko said: " I don't have even slightest objections to the judges decision. Fedor had the iniciative and he deserved to win. I couldn't stand on my feet after the first round, i was gassed out, i felt like i was in a coma. Unbelivable, while training i can do 30 minutes without any problems. I was relaxed. I still can't understand why I lost my stamina."
" He did hit me with hooks few times, but I was ok. I hit him with few straight punches, he withstand a standing KO. I should have used more punches to finish him, but instead i tried high kick and slipped. I wanted to finish the fight in attractive style."
" I was defending well on the ground, Fedor didn't do much damage. In the third round I was actually more comfortable having Fedor in my guard than standing up because I didn't have anymore strenght to attack. If I wasn't so exhausted I would attacked him in the third round, I wouldn't wait for Fedor to make first move or just counter atack like i did in the 1st round."
After the fight Fedor said: " I never had toughest opponent in my career. Don't ask me nothing, i am still groggy"
August 17th, 2005
I am afraid,  defeat frightens me, not Fedor, said Mirko in his recent interview in local newspapers. Mirko was also asked why isn't he afraid of Fedor. Mirko said: I was never afraid of my opponent. As any other fighter i am afraid to lose and i get jitter before fighting but i am not afraid to fight. I get more beaten on my trainings than in any fight so far.
Fedor claims that Pride is favoring you and that Pride gives you weaker opponents everytime you lose.
I don't know if Pride officials are favoring me, i can't read their minds. But to say that they are giving me weak opponents every time i lose is nonsense. Does he consider his brother Alexander and his sparring partner Magomedov a weak fighters? I think Fedor is little frighten so he started to yammer and he became cynical. He lost a lot in my eyes.
Who will have the advantage in the ring?
No one, little details will decide, carelessness, momentarily inspiration, physical condition...
On whose side is crowd going to be?
I think i will have more crowd on my side. I am more popular in Japan than Fedor is. My style is more attractive and people like that. And also because i am fighting in Japan longer than Fedor is.
Sometimes you leave impression of man who is disturbed by media.
Communication with reporters became strenuous for me. Maybe i sound cocky but i don't have any benefits from them. I waste my time often, risking to read sensational title next day which will bring trouble for me. I will give my "interview" in the ring.
Mirko is currently training with Rodrigo Archillero, Mike Kyle, Fabrizio Werdum, Stjepan Božić, Vlado Božić, Igor Pokrajac and Dražen Tovarović.
August 10th, 2005
In his recent interview Fedor said: "I think Mirko is favourised by Pride officials and they take care about him and his career. Every time Mirko looses Pride gives him few easier opponents so he could be back on top soon. Mirko is great fighter  but he talks a lot and the media is overrating him." Fedor also said that he thinks Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is better fighter than Mirko but he isn't sure who will win in their remach.
Mirko didn't have nothing to say on Fedors words.
June 29th, 2005
The title fight between Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic and Fedor Emalianenko has been officially confirmed. After all speculations, the title fight has been confirmed and scheduled for August 28th, 2005.

Name Fedor Emelianenko
Record W-L-D 21 - 1 - 0
Association Red Devil Sport Club
Height 6'0 (183cm)
Weight 233lbs (106kg)
Style Sambo / Judo
Birth date 9/28/1976
Country Russia
Summary
Fedor Emelianenko has stated in past interviews that he has been fighting since his childhood days. A true warrior who enjoys fighting and the challenge of competing against the best fighters in the sport. A member of the Red Devil Team, Emelianenko, unlike most other fighters in regards to fight preparation, has stated that he doesn't engage in any type of special training or preparation depending upon the opponent he is preparing to face. Fedor says that he adjusts his fighting style according to the flow of the fight and his opponent's actions
Fedor Emelianenko holds the title of 1997 Russian Judo Champion, the Heavyweight championship Rings World Title Series in 2001, the winner of the Absolute Division, Rings World Title Series in 2002 and he is presently Pride's Heavyweight Champion.
Since his days as a competitor in the Rings organization, Fedor has quickly established himself as the top Heavyweight competitor in the Pride FC organization where he has displayed his solid submission skills, superior boxing abilities and devastating ground-and-pound proficiencies.
Although few details are known about Fedor's life outside of MMA competition and his demeanor is that of a stone faced individual, it is known that he has a daughter who enjoys watching her daddy compete.
Striking
Fedor possesses rock-hard jackhammer punches which he has used to bounce his opponents around the rings of Pride like rag dolls. Although his official background is in both Judo and Sambo, few opponents will argue with the fact that Fedor is most likely one of MMA's most devastating punchers. With some prior boxing experience, Fedor has stated in past interviews that he focuses more on punches during training to continue in his efforts to become one of MMA best three-dimensional-fighters.
Grappling
With a solid background in both Judo and Sambo, Emelianenko has displayed his abilities to execute the throws, takedowns and striking techniques which are the main components of Judo and Sambo. Unlike Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners, when on the ground in an opponent's guard, Fedor will constantly move in an effort to gain top positioning or return to a standing position. If Fedor obtains top positioning on the ground he will quickly resort to grounding & pounding his opponent. Several of Fedor's opponents have compared his ground striking abilities to the likes of fighters such as Mark Coleman and Kevin Randleman.
Submission
Once again Fedor's Judo and Sambo backgrounds provide him with adequate submission skills in the form of arm locks and choke holds, each of which he has used to win previous fights. Although Fedor's choice to utilize a submission may always fall second to his preference of winning by way of knockout, his natural strength makes his submission abilities a valid threat to any opponent.
Strengths
Heavy hands and speed! Fedor's appearance is somewhat deceptive when considering his speed and strength. Not only has Fedor shown the MMA world that he possesses the punching power required to knockout his opponents but his natural strength often allows him to control an opponent on the ground. In addition to his natural strength, Fedor has excellent balance which makes it incredibly difficult for an opponent to escape from underneath Fedor when on the ground, allowing Fedor to drop bombs from above.
Weaknesses
Although Fedor is presently Pride's Heavyweight Champion he is fairly new to the sport. At the time of this posting, judging by Fedor's Pride match-ups the only weakness revealed thus far has been a questionable chin. Fedor was nearly knocked-out by Kazuyuki Fujita in Pride 26 but was able to quickly regain his footing at which point he reverted to his Judo background and applied a rear naked choke for the win. Considering Fedor's obvious striking abilities, I can't image many opponents wanting to go toe-to-toe with Fedor in hopes that they will land the strike that will reveal what may be his only weakness.
Conclusion
Fedor has speed, power, technique and is presently the Pride Heavyweight Champion. Although he will be the primary target of all those seeking to take his title, whomever steps in the ring with Emelianenko better be prepared to go to war.

mmareview.com
June 26th, 2005
Mirko strikes again. After left middle kick Magomedov went down in huge pain. Mirko rushed after Magomedov when he was falling but pain on Magomedovs face said too much and Mirko didn't wanted to hurt him even more. Referee stopped the fight when as soon as Magomedov went down.
After the fight Mirko called Takada and Fedor in the ring. Mirko wanted confirmation for the title fight and its on, August 28th Heavyweight title fight.
Download Mirko-Magomedov full fight here
June 23rd, 2005
Mirko departureed for Japan today where he will fight Ibragim Magomedov June 26th, on Pride Grand Prix "Critical Countdown".
May 27th, 2005
On next Pride scheduled June 26th, Mirko will face Fedors sparing partner Ibragim Magomedov.

Name Ibragim Magomedov
Record W-L-D 12 - 2 - 0
Association Red Devil Sport Club
Height 6'0 (183cm)
Weight 230lbs (104kg)
City St. Petersburg
Country Russia
In short interview Mirko said: "My next opponent is Ibragim Magomedov. Thats about all i know about him, and that he is from Fedors team".
"I will be ready. I have learned lessons from experience in fight with Kevin Randelman. There will be no more underestimating or that kind of approach. It will be great overture for the final conflict with Fedor Emalianenko August 28th"
May 19th, 2005
Mirko has returned from Cannes film festival where he was promoting his movie Ultimate seven. Fight against Fedor Emalianenko has been set for August 28th.
June 26th he will fight Fedors sparring partner. According to rumors that could be Roman Zentsov.
May 15th, 2005
Ken Imai, Crocop's protege, is in Croatia these days. When he is in Zagreb he lives in Crocop's house. "I train just like him and he does that two times a day. I am his prisoner" said Imai joking. 
He said few words regarding current situation about the title bout: "If Fedor doesn't accept to fight, Pride will take his belt. They were suppose to fight in November 2003. where he had same injury as today. This time i went to hospital with him and the diagnosis was that he will need 4-6 weeks to heal the injury. Even now, 6 weeks until the first termine of the fight, we are ready to accept the fight if Fedor wants it. Last time when Mirko had 4 months period without fighting was against Sakuraba in 2002. With his fitness he is on the top right now. He is facing his biggest challenge in Fedor and i think he is current the only big threat to Mirko at the moment."
"UFC wanted Mirko in their octagon. Despite that Mirko would became the champion in UFC easier than in Pride, we are decided not to go to UFC yet. We were also able to arrange the fight with current K-1 champion Remy Bonjasky. I am in very good relationship with Akihiko Honda, biggest Japan boxing promoter and he is convinced that Mirko would be dangerous in boxing rings too. We had talked about Mirko fighting Vladimir Klitchko, John Ruiz..."
"Mirko is popular in Japan as Tom Cruise is in Hollywood. He is currently most popular foreign sportsman in Japan"
May 7th, 2005
Title match between Fedor and Mirko has been cancelled because PRIDE still didn't recieve confirmation from Fedor about the fight. Mirko asked PRIDE for an official confirmation about the fight but he didn't recieve any informations until April 26th, which was the deadline for the confirmation.
New date for the title fight is set for August 28th, but that date isn't confirmed from PRIDE so even that is questionable.
Mirko will fight June 26th, but with another opponent which is still unknown.
Mirko hired Judo black belt and 3x Brazilian Wrestling champion Rodrigo Artilheiro to sharpen his Wrestling. He will spend one month training with Cro Cop and Werdum. "I am too excited with this opportunity and I am sure I will be able to help him to attack and defend leg attacks" said Artilheiro.
 
April  11th, 2005
Croatian daily newspapers Vecernji list announced that the title fight is going to happen in June. Apparently Crocop recieved a phone call from PRIDE and DSE officials, he was told to continue with his training for the fight scheduled for June because Fedor Emalianenko will defend the belt in spite of his thumb injury.
Mirko is waiting for his sparring partner Fabrizio Werdum and new addition to Crocop's team Maurizio Corletta, which are currently not in Croatia, to continue with trainings for the fight.
Read Crocop's thoughts on latest news about the fight here
April  4th, 2005
According to puroresupower.com and Tokyo Naigai Times, title fight between Fedor Emalianenko and Mirko has been cancelled again! Fedor injured his finger in his latest fight with Kohsaka, the same finger  that stopped him fighting Mirko in 2003. Nobuyuki Sakakibara, Dream Stage Entertainment CEO, is optimistic in announcing the date of the title match soon, but according to the news, fight is not going to happen in June and maybe not even in August 28th this year. There is possibility that Mirko is going to fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Sergei Kharitonov in upcoming PRIDE events.
March 30th, 2005
Mirko has played his second match for his soccer club Cibalia from Vinkovci. He played last 14 minutes of the game. His wish to score a goal for the team didn't go through this time.
March 10th, 2005
Mirko has announced today that he will face Fedor Emalianenko June 26th this year. The news hasn't been confirmed by PRIDE officials.
March 6th, 2005
Good news for mma world, Fedor Emalianenko has re-signed his contract with PRIDE. It's 100% sure that we will see Crocop vs Fedor in near future, probably in July this year.
Fedor is curently in Holland for 2Hot 2Handle show, in the meantime he was training with Ernesto Hoost.
February 27th, 2005
In his latest interview Mirko said: " Fedor is too dangerous to be taken easily, and that is the reason of canceling my UFC debut.  I consider myself as a favourite in that fight, no matter what, his record, status and experience. He doesn't have much of a standup technique, he possess a great hook and he is excelent on the ground.
Concerning Corletta, he will be an excellent sparring partner. I am sure that I will improve my ground techniques, and be a decent oponnent to Fedor on the ground, because physically we are about the same. If Fedor doesn't sign a new contract with Pride it could happen that i fight Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the heavyweight title in Zagreb, Croatia. "
About Fedor and PRIDE Mirko said: "I wouldn't let myself into any calculations about Fedor and his relations with Pride. I hope that the date of the fight will be announced soon."
February 25th, 2005
New addition in crocop team is Marcio Corletta, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert who will join crocop team in about three weeks.
February 24th, 2005
Check out Crocop's post fight interview here, video clip of interview from sherdog here
Mirko said that he will take a rest preparing for title fight with Fedor Emalianenko that is suppose to happen June this year. That is one fight we may never see because Fedor has recently turned down PRIDE contract. Is he dodging Mirko, does he want more money on his contract or reason is something else only Fedor knows. Mirko has done his job, now it's up to Fedor.
February 21th, 2005
Watch Mark Coleman's interview from sherdog here
February 20th, 2005
Crocop Wins again. After only 3 minutes and 40 seconds of the first round Coleman was taken down by Crocop's left hook followed by Crocop's soccer kick when referee decided to stop the fight.  After the fight Mark said: "He is a great fighter, I dont know what to say. The man is increadible and I think he will be wearing the belt very soon. I have a lot of work ahead but I wont quit. I give him all the credit, he was the better man on the night, he kicked my ass but I wont quit". Mirko said: "I am still standing, I am still waiting. Fedor, you are next!"
Crocop's BJJ trainer Fabricio Werdum also fought that night. His opponent was Tom Erikson, Fabricio won by submission (choke) in first round.
February 17th, 2005
Great news for those who can watch Nov@ tv. Nov@ tv will broadcast Crocop-Coleman fight live Sunday at 11:30  hours european time.
February 14th, 2005
In croatian newspapers "Jutarnji list" Mirko was asked few questions about Coleman. Here is what Mirko said.
About Coleman Mirko was talking with chosen words full of respect: "10 years before i admired Colemans fights, along with croatian boxer Stipe Drvis. Coleman has nothing to lose and he can gain a lot because no one really expects from Coleman to win. He is one of the most experienced fighters in Pride and i have large amount of respect towards Mark. I honestly believe i am better fighter and that i am going to come out as a winner from this fight."
If Mirko overcomes Mark he will probably take some time to rest and to start training for title fight against Fedor. Now is certain that Fedor will not respond positive for title fight before June, even June is still questionable.
 There is also big possibility that Mirko will fight on UFC tournament April 8th in Mandalay Bay with one of the UFC heavyweights, but there is nothing confirmed from Crocop team at the moment, Mirko can only confirm that he recieved the offer from UFC.
 
January 31st, 2005
Mirko will face Mark Coleman at  upcoming PRIDE 29 "Fists of Fire" scheduled February 20th. 2005
Name Mark Coleman
Nick Name The Hammer
Record W-L-D 13 - 6 - 0
Association Hammer House
Height 6'1 (185cm)
Weight 245lbs (111kg)
Style Wrestling
Birth Date 12/20/1964
City Columbus
State Ohio
Country USA
Career Highlights
  • Debuts at UFC 10 and beats Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge, and previously undefeated Don Frye to win the tournament 
  • Returns at UFC 11 to defeat Julian Sanchez, Brian Johnston and after being left with no opponent in the finals because Scott Ferrozzo was unable to compete due to exhaustion, Coleman had won his second UFC tournament 
  • Defeats the UFC Superfight Champion, Dan Severn, to be crowned the official UFC Heavyweight Champion
  • Wins the Pride Grand Prix 2000 tournament by defeating Masaaki Satake, Akira Shoji, Kazuyuki Fujita and Igor Vovchanchyn 
  • Defends his Pride GP title against Allan Goes at Pride 13
  • Wins a decision victory over Don Frye at Pride 26
Background
Mark Coleman grew up in a small town north of Columbus Ohio called Fremont. In high school he played football and baseball in addition to being a member of the wrestling team. After completing high school, he had hoped to receive a football scholarship for his achievements as an all-state middle linebacker but his childhood dreams of someday becoming an NFL star would be diminished when he realized that he was not going to be recruited by any Division One schools.
  Although Coleman was a two time state champion and one-time runner up as a wrestler in high school, this also would not be enough to earn him a scholarship for wrestling to Ohio State or Iowa which he attributes to lack of recognition because he did not compete in freestyle wrestling. Coleman eventually accepted a scholarship to Miami of Ohio, a very small Division One school. 
  After choosing to pursue his wrestling career, Coleman had become a two-time Mid American Champion, and placed 4th in the NCAA Division One finals as a junior. This was his ticket out of Miami of Ohio which allowed him to transfer to Ohio State for his senior year. Coleman became a national champion as a senior at Ohio State and graduated from Ohio State in 1988 with a degree in education. 
  Continuing to pursue his goal of being a world champion wrestler, and someday an Olympic champion, Coleman won the 1991 Pan American Games, Gold Medal in Cuba. Following his victory in Cuba, Coleman won the United States National Freestyle Championships and went on to the World Championships where he earned a Silver Medal. 
  In 1992 Coleman succeeded in making the Olympic Team but his luck would soon change as he ended up finishing in 7th place at the Olympics. He soon found himself depressed and disappointed because he failed to achieve the goal that he had worked for his whole life. After his disappointing performance in the Olympics, Coleman failed to maintain his training habits. He soon found himself ranked 4th or 5th in the United States from 1993 to 1995 at which point he decided to revive himself and his wrestling career.
  In 1995 Coleman began his training once again to compete in the Sunkist Open tournament where he defeated Kurt Angle, who was the World Champion at the time. Shortly after defeating Kurt Angle, Coleman once again slipped into a state of depression and failed to train properly which resulted in Kurt Angle winning the World Trials that year, and becoming World Champion.
  In 1996 Coleman would once again make an attempt to qualify for the Olympic Team. After making it to the semi-finals, Coleman would be defeated and denied the opportunity to compete in the upcoming Olympics. Coleman feels that this was a blessing in disguise. In losing the opportunity to compete in the Olympics for a second time, Coleman would be approached by a trainer/manager and offered a contract to fight in the next UFC, which would have been UFC 10.
Mark Coleman's accomplishments in Wrestling and Mixed Martial Arts competition read like a finely tuned resume:
  • 1992 US Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team
  • 1991 World Championships Silver Medalist 
  • Pan-Am Games Gold Medalist 
  • 1988 NCAA Heavyweight Champion 2 x NCAA All American Wrestler 
  • 2 time UFC Tournament Champion 
  • UFC Superfight Champion 
  • Pride Grand Prix 2000 tournament champion
  • Captain of Team Hammer House
As a family man and father of two young girls, Mark Coleman is one of the most respected, successful and loved fighters to compete in NHB competition. Whenever it looks as though the best of Mark Coleman is a thing of the past, he rallies back and proves himself again and again. Mark Coleman will always remain a part of modern day MMA history.
Striking
The term "ground and pound" was coined to describe Coleman's dominant style of putting his opponent on the bottom, and pounding them into submission. Mark Coleman is a powerful man, who lives up to his nickname "the Hammer". Like many wrestlers, Mark Coleman prefers to distribute his strikes while on the ground. When given the opportunity, Coleman will also use knees as a means of breaking his opponents. He is very accurate with his strikes, which results in either skull rattling punches or severe punishment to the ribs. In the early days of the UFC, prior to modifications which resulted in the present day UFC rules, Mark Coleman was known for issuing  devastating head butts as a means of dismantling his opponents.
Grappling
Coleman is a powerhouse and he can have his way with most fighters. With his excessive wrestling experience, he has the ability to manipulate most opponents on the ground. His takedowns are nearly impossible to defend and he can usually pass the guard of weaker opponents.
Submission
Like many wrestlers turned Mixed Martial Arts fighters, Mark Coleman struggles to put people away using anything other than his "Ground & Pound" technique. If Mark Coleman attempts a submission, you can pretty much guarantee that he perfect positioning and/or was low on energy and becoming desperate. The most common type of submissions to be executed by Coleman would be those that require the use of a large amount of strength such as a Neck Crank or Choke.
Strengths
Coleman is a great wrestler with extreme strength who can match up well with most opposition. He has mastered the "Ground & Pound" and only a handful of opponents have survived it. Mark Coleman is a tank - slow, but powerful.
Weaknesses
Submission holds, long hauls, and tough opposition can all be cited as stumbling blocks for Mark Coleman. "The Hammer" has gone with a two-dimensional approach to fighting. Still lacking in the area of submissions, Coleman relies of his ability to beat opponents into submission or obtain victory by way of referee stoppage. Those who have been able to survive the initial storm usually have the opportunity to take the offensive because Mark Coleman has been known to tire quickly which may be attributed to his muscular build. Mark Coleman also seems to struggle with himself which is apparent by the fact that he has fallen victim to depression several times throughout his career as a wrestler and NHB fighter.
Conclusion
Mark Coleman may have passed the peak of his fighting career, but he remains a favorite in Pride due to his signature "Ground & Pound" style.

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