Cro Cop calls for retirement bout vs. Fedor
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic wants to head into retirement with a bang.
The 42-year-old heavyweight took to Facebook on Tuesday to issue a challenge to his old rival, fellow legend Fedor Emelianenko:
The two previously fought for Japan's now-defunct PRIDE promotion, meeting in a classic 2005 championship clash that would have established the winner as the top heavyweight in the world. Emelianenko took a unanimous decision and a rematch never materialized despite their immense popularity.
Both have flirted with retirement, but Emelianenko remains active in 2017. The 40-year-old Russian is set to make his Madison Square Garden debut at Bellator NYC on June 24.
Cro Cop was last seen winning a Rizin Fighting Federation tournament in Japan last December. He announced his retirement afterwards, but it appears he's willing to return for another shot at Emelianenko.