FanPost

Flash Back to UFC 70 (Cro Cop KO'd via head kick)

On April 21, 2007. Gabriel Gonzaga head kicked Mirko Cro Cop to become the #1 contender for the UFC heavyweight title.

At the time Cro Cop was 22-4-2; at the time he'd only been KO'd once in his career and hadn't tasted defeat in two years and was riding a 5 fight win streak. 

Gonzaga was 7-1, his only loss to fellow Brazilian Fabricio Werdum in his third pro fight. It's clear who the favorite to win the fight was.

Everyone remembers, everyone has seen the video of the head kick that seems ended the aura that surrounded Cro Cop. Gonzaga would go on to fight Randy Couture for the title and UFC 74 and lose by TKO.

Lets change the outcome of the fight: 

Cro Cop KO's Gonzaga via head kick and moves on to face Randy for the title at UFC 74. I would like to believe that Cro Cop has and had the tools to defeat "The Natural." Randy lost the title to Brock Lesnar a year later at UFC 91.

Imagine the difference in the landscape today. It's "what if" questions like this that make me love this sport. Would Cro Cop have defeated all comers and stayed the Champion? There's no way Brock would have stood with him like he did with Randy.... there's a good chance Lesnar may never have been champion if that one moment in history had changed.

What do you guys think? What if Gonzaga hadn't thrown that kick 4 years ago? What would MMA look like today?


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