Cro Cop by armbar! Wait, what?
Former PRIDE and UFC Heavyweight striker Mirko Filipovic made his triumphant return to mixed martial arts (MMA) last weekend as part of the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2012 New Year's Eve fight festival in Tokyo, Japan, submitting a Japanese tomato can named Shinichi Suzukawa.
"Wakakirin," a former sumo wrestler, was making his MMA debut.
The win for the previously retired Cro Cop marked his first since a dreadful string of three consecutive knockout/technical knockout losses inside the Octagon. While the Croatian cop was 3-0 on the kickboxing circuit since getting pasted by Roy Nelson, this was his first official MMA bout in over a year.
And the man best known for his debilitating left high kick opted to secure his first-ever victory by way of armbar.
A win is a win, I suppose.
Also in action, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia was outpointed by Olympic Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii while Ikuhisa Minowa and Rolles Gracie both won their respective fights via first round submission.
Good times.