Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is a Croatian law enforcement officer turned kickboxer turned mixed martial artist. The name "Cro Cop" comes from his membership in the Croatian police's Anti-Terrorist Group. He has been successful in both K-1 and PRIDE, winning the PRIDE 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix on September 10, 2006. He signed with the UFC in 2007, and after going a disappointing 1-2 with losses to Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheik Kongo before defecting back to Japan to work on his overall game with the stated goal of eventually returning back to the UFC octagon.