In a post fight interview given to a small contingent of the Croatian media and posted on Dnevnik.hr, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic revealed that he suffered a broken rib in the first round of a three round battle with fellow striker Cheick Kongo. Cro Cop lost to Kongo by unanimous decision, dropping his overall record to 22-6-2 and bringing his octagon tally to a disappointing 1-2.

“What can I say, I’m very disappointed,” said the contrite, slightly self-deprecating Cro Cop. “I broke a rib in the first round so I was breathing heavily; I also got two knees in the groin which hurt my stamina. I feel bad, I fought bad, maybe I’m getting older,” he joked with a smile. “My rib hurts but don't worry, we're gonna continue. I just want to go home right now and get some rest. I want to thank everyone who came to London to support me.”

The injury partly explains Cro Cop’s uninspired performance against Kongo, but coming off the heels of being utterly dominated and violently knocked out by Gabriel Gonzaga, and after suffering consecutive losses for the first time in his illustrious career, we are left to wonder if the real Mirko Filipovic, a man once billed as the greatest striker in the world, has anything left in the tank.