Mirko Cro Cop came away victorious in the opening round of the Rizin Openweight Grand Prix tournament, and that’s set up a showdown with Wanderlei Silva. The promotion announced during Sunday’s Rizin FF show that the two PRIDE legends will clash one more time, with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
The 42-year-old Cro Cop choked out Hyun Man Myung at the Saitama Super Arena, marking the feared knockout specialist’s first win by submission since he armbarred Shinichi Suzukawa in 2012, in what was his first fight after he’d announced his retirement in October 2011. The Croatian had also retired in late 2015 after he’d faced a two-year USADA suspension, while under UFC contract, after admitting he’d use HGH.