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A rematch eight years in the making finally went down inside the Krakow Arena in Krakow, Poland this past Saturday night (April 11, 2015) when Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Cro Cop collided in the main event of UFC Fight Night 64.
Coming into the 25-minute exchange, many fight fans were left wondering exactly what these two had left to give to mixed martial arts (MMA). Well, at least one man put retirement notions to bed and that was the former Croatian cop.
The grizzled 40-year-old won an incredible comeback over a thoroughly game opponent in the Brazilian Gonzaga. Cro Cop, who was in the hole two rounds following the impressive grappling effort put forth by the former title challenger, unleashed a barrage of short elbows in the third round, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
"This was one of the most important fights in my career, not just rematches," Cro Cop explained at the post-fight presser. "I knew I needed to stay away from him in the first and second rounds. It sounds smart but that was our strategy. It was a must-win situation for me."
Suddenly, the future appears bright for the once downtrodden kickboxer. The win gives Cro Cop his third-straight victory; by (technical) knockout no less. It would also even his score with Gonzaga and earn him a performance bonus. Consequentially, it upped his UFC/Pride win total to 22 and kept his record in rematches spotless at 6-0.
What exactly will his future hold, Octagon announcer Dan Hardy asked him following his triumphant return.
"First thing I'll do is take a shower and go to Croatia in an hour. Maybe [in] one or two weeks I'll rest and then train again," he told Hardy.
Considering Cro Cop just turned 40, and knocked off the No. 14 guy in the world in his division, a lot needs to be sorted out.
A win over Gonzaga is respectable, but the way he was dominated in the early parts of the fight only serve to prop up the drama surrounding his miraculous turnaround. More importantly, it is a stark reminder of the hole's in a one-dimensional fighter's game, and an ode to father time.
Cro Cop's most meaningful strike came on a missed head kick in the middle of the second round.
Cro Cop has committed to exactly one strike so far. The missed head kick.
— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) April 11, 2015