#3 Bob Sapp vs Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic (K-1 kick-boxing rules)
Bob Sapp was a legitimately scary fighter many years ago. After all, he beat kickboxing royalty Ernesto Hoost 2 times in consecutive matchups, with both victories coming via stoppage. After riding high on that success in 2002, he fought legendary Croatian kickboxer and MMA fighter, Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2003.
It was the height of Sapp’s popularity, especially in Japan, and the Japanese crowd went absolutely bonkers when the caricature-like American fighter made his entrance. Now mind you, although this wasn’t an MMA fight, both combatants are one of the biggest names in our sport. The fight took place under K-1 kickboxing rules.
The fight started with Sapp’s typical bully approach, featuring his signature ‘Sapp Bullrush’, wherein he would rush forward closing the distance with windmill punches and simply look to overwhelm his opponents. However, Cro Cop, the first fighter to KO Sapp, used his excellent evasive footwork.
Just past the halfway point of Round 1 (3-Minute Rounds), Cro Cop landed a beautiful left roundhouse kick to the American’s gut and followed it up with a classic Southpaw 1-2, that made the giant wince and fall down. Sapp was literally in tears out of a combination of both fear and pain.
Now although, this wasn’t his first loss in combat sports as he had lost in 2002 to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by submission, Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ as the first man to knock Sapp out, and shatter his aura of invincibility on the feet. Up next we see a female bully, get a taste of her own medicine...
