Idman.biz
Mirko Filipovic, the 51-year-old Croatian, winner of the 2006 Pride FC Openweight Grand Prix, better known as "Cro Cop," has revealed that he was offered an MMA fight against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou from Cameroon.
"A very good friend of mine, a serious guy, the head of a large MMA organization, called me and said, 'I know you're training, you're in good shape. Are you ready to fight Francis Ngannou?' I asked, 'Who?' He repeated, 'Francis Ngannou.' I replied, 'What does fighting mean? Do you mean fighting, or playing cards, chess, swimming, running? Fighting in a real fight?' And he said, 'Yes, according to MMA rules.'
I started laughing. He's crazy! If I had to rank my opponents from worst to best, Francis Ngannou would be the worst! He asked me how much I would fight for. He said I need $500,000 to fight him and $19.5 million to see my mother's reaction when she finds out I'm fighting Ngannou.
They offered me the fight very late, in May. They should have called me three months earlier so I could start preparing for a fight that would supposedly pay $20 million. And who would spend the money after they killed me (laughs)," Filipovic said in an interview with RMC Sport.
