Cro Cop recovers from surgery and thinks about returning to K-1

The defeat for Roy Nelson at UFC 137 left another mark on Mirko Cro Cop besides leaving the UFC. The Croatian fighter had to undergo delicate surgery to repair a tear in the biceps muscle and a tendon in his right arm.

In an interview with the Croatian website Fightsite.hr, Cro Cop said that the doctor who operated on him blamed twenty years of training for the injury. The former PRIDE Grand Prix champion explained the problem:

“The injury happened ten days before the fight against Nelson. But I had already been training for five months, I was in excellent shape, I wasn't ready to stop. I knew I would have to wait another six months for a new fight, I knew that the injury would require surgery.”

Cro Cop also spoke about the impact that the injury had on the UFC 137 fight:

“Unfortunately I couldn’t control my arm. After the first strong contraction, the hand was useless and harmless. During the fight I couldn't feel my hand. But I don't want to take any credit away from Roy Nelson, much less make an excuse.”

Despite being released from the UFC, the fighter is not thinking about ending his career. Cro Cop aims to return to his roots when he recovers from surgery:

“I'm very grateful to the UFC people. I feel sorry for not being able to achieve my goals in the organization and not meeting their expectations. They paid me very well. I did my best, I was professional, but after the PRIDE Grand Prix it was difficult to find motivation, to be honest. (…) I have some proposals. My idea is to fight on March 10th at Arena Zagreb. My opponent will be an elite K-1 athlete. It will be great for Croatian fight fans. I started in K-1, it was my first love. I want to put on a great show for my fans in Zagreb.”

Check out the interview given to website Croatian:

Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC