While it certainly wasn't quite vintage "Cro Cop" at UFC 110, Mirko Filipovic's second-round TKO over late-replacement Anthony Perosh (10-6 MMA, 0-3 UFC) did get the Croatian back in the win column.
At the evening's post-event press conference, Filipovic (26-7-2 MMA, 3-3 UFC) said his renewed focus on training means he's still got plenty to offer the world of mixed martial arts.
Meanwhile, UFC president Dana White said the Croatian striker will likely get a chance to prove that against his originally scheduled opponent, Ben Rothwell (30-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC), very soon.
"I can say I was satisfied with my performance," Filipovic said in a rare post-fight press conference appearance. "I didn't fight my original opponent. He canceled the fight. Perosh jumped in, and I'm grateful to him for that. He showed great courage and guts. He came to fight.
"But where I'm at in the heavyweight division, I don't know. I believe I belong in the top, so we'll see in the next fights. It depends on the next fight."
White said he hopes those answers can come in short order.
"I think what we do is we do the fight that was supposed to happen tonight," White said. "We'll make that fight happen, and obviously Mirko didn't have a rough night tonight.
"Ben isn't out because he's injured or anything. He got a stomach virus, so hopefully we can make this fight quick and put this one together soon."
While Filipovic easily handled Perosh, who took the fight on just 48 hours' notice, the bout served more as a moment of nostalgia for longtime "Cro Cop" fans than it did as any true test of talent. With Filipovic's UFC wins coming over Perosh, Mostapha Al Turk (in controversial fashion) and Eddie Sanchez, many wonder if the fighter can remain relevant in the UFC's current title picture.
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