Mirko Cro Cop

Mirko Filipović, known by his ring name Mirko Cro Cop, is a Croatian former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer and amateur boxer, born on 10 September 1974 in Vinkovci. He grew up training in sprint events, began formal taekwondo at seven and later studied karate, and joined the Croatian national kickboxing team while serving in the army. He is mostly known for his time in Pride Fighting Championships and also fought in the UFC, K-1, Rizin and Bellator. He won the 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix, the K-1 World Grand Prix Final in Zagreb and the 2016 Rizin Openweight Grand Prix, and his nickname comes from his work with the Croatian police anti-terrorist unit. He also sat in the Croatian Parliament from 2003 to 2008 and retired in 2019 after a stroke. This entry is written from the English Wikipedia article on Mirko Cro Cop.