mma / News
Mirko Cro Cop Announces Retirement After Suffering Stroke
MMA Junkie reports that during an appearance on the Croatian network Nova TV, Mirko Cro Cop announced his retirement at the age of 44 after being hospitalized due to a stroke. The stroke happened less than two weeks after a victory over Roy Nelson at Bellator 216.
Cro Cop said: “It’s over. I hope I’m not going to cry, but it’s the inevitable retirement. I will never enter the ring again. I cannot let anyone hit me. I have to have (an MRI) in three months, (and) after that I will train again, boxing bags, but there is no such thing as a fight.”
He posted a photo from the hospital today with a wrist bracelet and on his Facebook page posted a photo with the caption “a sad goodbye.” Cro Cop said he suffered a neck injury two or three months ago and may have had a seizure before his most recent fight.
Cro Cop has been fighting for 25 years. He has a 26-8 record in kickboxing, including a 2012 win in the K-1 World Grand Prix. In MMA, he had a 10-fight win streak and won titles in the Rizin FF Open-Weight Grand Prix. He competed in the 2006 PRIDE World Open-Weight Grand Prix, stopping Josh Barnett to win a belt, before going to the UFC where he went 5-6. After getting a two-year suspension from the USADA for using human growth hormone, Cro Cop retired. He eventually announced his return for Rizin before signing with Bellator. While under contract, he was tested out of competition multiple times and passed.
