For better or for worse, former PRIDE and UFC heavyweight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic has withdrawn from his DREAM 4 grappling match against Ralek Gracie to give more recovery time to his nagging injuries according to Croatia’s Dnevnik.hr.
Scheduled to fight in the DREAM 5 main event against K-1 superstar Jerome LeBanner, Filipovic had more to lose than to gain by testing his mettle against Gracie.
As we reported in early May, Cro Cop suffered a minor knee injury during his training. The Croat initially dismissed the injury as a non-issue, but the cancellation of his match against Gracie indicates that it may still be lingering or perhaps coupled with existing injuries.
And if he’s going to go toe-to-toe against the dangerous LeBanner on July 21, he needs to be 100%.
