Mirko Filipovic was supposed to fight Roy Nelson at the Bellator 200 mixed martial arts (MMA) event back in May 2018, but was hospitalized with a knee injury that required surgery. Just a few months later, “Cro Cop” was back inside the RIZIN ring smashing Roque Martinez.
Must have been those “special supplements.”
But the former PRIDE FC grand prix champion dismissed talk of magical healing powers and instead attributed his quick turnaround time to a dedicated rehabilitation process, which allowed him to return to action much sooner than expected.
“You know how people are, so many stupid comments,” Filipovic told MMA Fighting. “This, that ... I’m a very dedicated man. I spent five, six hours rehabilitation process every day. I managed to recover. After six, seven weeks I start to jog again. I had a fight also. Leg wasn’t recovered enough. But anyway I accepted the fight. I am recovered now.”
Filipovic, 44, will rematch Nelson at this Saturday night’s (Feb. 16, 2019) Bellator 216 event inside Mohegan Sun, attempting to avenge his UFC 137 loss to “Big Country.” Not surprisingly, the bearded brawler didn’t take his foot off the gas when it came to critiquing his opponent.
“When he pulled out of my fight, he had a fight, he had knee surgery, he had rehab, and he was able to come back in three or four months,” Nelson told MMA Junkie. “I think his docs need to come over here for the NFL and some of these guys that get messed-up knees, they could be back in a week.”
Too bad this fighter didn’t get the memo.
“There is no relationship, we are not friends, but there is no bad blood,” Filipovic insisted. “We are just fighters. He needs to say something, he needs to attract attention. I understand it. I don’t think Roy Nelson is a bad person. Just business.”
Judging by this staredown, he may be right.
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