Legendary MMA fighter Mirko Cro Cop has pulled out of his fight with Anthony Hamilton at UFC Fight Night 79 in South Korea later this month and in a message on Facebook he also appears to have announced his retirement from fighting.
According to his post, which has been roughly translated from the original version which was written in Croatian, a tendon injury in his shoulder was the reason he had to withdraw from his fight with Hamilton, and that appears to have been the final straw that’s led to the 41 year-old’s decision to hang up his gloves for good.
At this stage there’s no official confirmation, but if it does prove to be true then the bright side would be that Cro Cop will be retiring after a successful return to the UFC back in April where he avenged an infamous loss to Gabriel Gonzaga with a third round TKO victory. That was his third win in a row in the sport at this late stage in his career and allows him to bow out with an overall 31-11-2 (+1nc) career record spanning 14 years.
Read Cro Cop’s full statement below (apologies in advance for the poor quality of the translation.).
“Dear friends,
I had to unfortunately cancel the fight in Seoul. As early preparations hurt my shoulder and so I couldn’t raise a hand. I tried to save his shoulder injury and repair in all possible ways, and daily therapies and injections of blood plasma and various cocktails of drugs but did not work out. The only remedy would be a break of two to three weeks and that I could not afford in the midst of final preparations. Daily training the injury only worsened. part muscle snapped, his shoulder is a lot of fluid, and the great danger is that tendon ruptures and then again in operation. I do not need it, especially at my age.
All summer, I walked in Munich on therapy at one of the famous doctor works chronic inflammation of the tendons on the grips sit bone that’s driving me crazy, in Vinkovci when I go 2 times I have to stop working during times of pain in these tendons that hurt me terribly, seated right knee which was operated on four times, too. And now even the shoulder, back not to mention. Whenever I go to a magnet no matter what, and what I record, report begins with ‘degenerative changes’, but that is the price that must be paid. people naturally see only one side of the coin, material things, and for the passion, pain, blood and tears no one asks or cares. but it is so in life.
Now two in the morning and I can not sleep, thoughts and tinkles spinning his career before his eyes. and I am aware that I have come to the end of his martial times. but training the pain no longer want. My body izraubano of countless training, collected 9 operation body has become prone to injury, after each workout I put ice on his knee operated on because it was full of liquid, twice weekly. Next fight would have been 80 this professional and that is a lot. especially in this competition. K-1, Pride, IGF, UFC.
The biggest problem will be my adaptation of the ‘civilian’ life. no two workouts a day and the eternal journey around the world, which we will not be so tough on you. I train while I’m alive because it is my life but not at this rate and I was glad in a way. This is not an immediate decision because I’m unhappy doing all this but my final decision. and it is best for me. sooner or later the time comes when one must and the health of their thinking.
I had a really long and rich career and I believe I left a deep mark in the martial arts, in a free fight in K-1 and have nization pour. thanks to all who have followed me and supported me and remain beautiful memories and memories. greetings!”
