He was one of MMA’s original boogeymen and a pillar of the Pride Fighting Championships promotion in Japan. Mirko Filipovic will celebrate his 43rd birthday on Sept. 10.
Filipovic debuted in 2001 and soon after rose to prominence in Pride, where his signature left high kick made him a permanent fixture on highlight reels. During his stay in the Japanese organization, “Cro Cop” twice fought for the heavyweight title, won the 2006 Pride open weight grand prix and subdued a long line of contemporaries: Josh Barnett (three times), Wanderlei Silva, Kazushi Sakuraba, Igor Vovchanchyn, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman and Hidehiko Yoshida.