Such was the extent of Mirko Filipovic’s violent exploits that grown men lost sleep at the mere thought of having to face him in his prime.
“Cro Cop” spent nearly two decades plying his trade across various stops in mixed martial arts, most prominently in the Japan-based Pride Fighting Championships organization. Though he possessed all the tools one would expect in a world-class kickboxer, Filipovic’s left high kick was the separator and arguably the most-feared weapon in MMA history. He was at the peak of his powers in 2006, when he defeated Ikuhisa Minowa, Hidehiko Yoshida, Wanderlei Silva and Josh Barnett—the latter two just hours apart on the same night—to win the Pride Openweight Grand Prix.