Crocop's REAL problem...

Crocop is my favorite fighter.

He's 100% defensive.

No wrestling training at ALL.

1-punch at a time.

Crocop has Arlovski's disease....no aggressiveness in him against an opponent that isn't afraid to get hit.

The reason why Fedor is #1 is that he engages ALL his opponents. ALL of them. He never fights afraid or defensive.

This new generation of fighters have NOTHING to lose.

Vanderlei is the exact same way now.

Crocop needs to train with an super-aggressive team.

He's fought like this many times, it's just that a punch or kick usually finds its way in.

After tonight, I predict he'll come back even more passive, cautious, and boring.

Actually, Gonzaga came in with a gameplan specifically designed to stop him.
He circled so he couldn't set his feet and throw a left kick. Cro Cop can talk all he wants about his right leg sending people to the hospital, but he never throws it. On the mat, Cro Cop grabs the gloves (cuz in Pride they're easy to latch on to) so Gonzaga threw elbows.
It was a good gameplan, not necessarily a glaring flaw in CC's game. If they fight again, I guarantee you'll see an adjustment.

His problem is he spent more time in training to defend the heel hook then to defend kicks. It's pretty obvious no one can heel hook CC

Domingo is 100%.

seemed like the best plan on his back was overhook both arms, stall for standup



the evan tanner style wrist control elbows were brilliant though













the same crocop defended all of colemans takedown attempts. olympic level....

I thought that the bigger mistake was not planning to get hit with an elbow from the guard. Cro Cop grabbed his gloves, and Gonzaga threw elbows.

"the same crocop defended all of colemans takedown attempts. olympic level...."

Coleman also shoots from 10 feet away with no set-up at all, too. Gonzaga took him down off of a kick. I think any top 25 heavyweight could've gotten that takedown off of a caught kick.

Cro Cop probably took Gonzaga lightly,and didnt think he would stand with him.Which now obviously was a mistake.

agreed, he took Gonzaga lightly and paid the price.

I agree. Cro Cop was way too passive in this fight. Maybe he could have thrown a counter when Gonzaga was engaging to discourage him. I had a feeling Gonzaga was gonna win if Cro Cop took him lightly or was too defensive. But to Cro Cop's credit, everytime he has lost in devastating fashion, he comes back with a vengeance. He sure did sound like he was thinking about retiring. I hope not.

CC will be back, but he better step up the aggression a bit, the five minute rds (oppossed to ten min 1st rd)
really make a difference in pacing.

: Domingo is 100% right

TTT 4 crocop

Lol at all these key board warriors telling CC he was too passive and that he should have done this or that.

Watch the fight again newbs. Gonzaga went out very agressive. CC gave it to him with that kick. Unfortunately Gonzaga caught the leg and the fight went to the ground where most of the fight took place. When they got stood up CC pressed forward only to get KOed by a right high kick. It's simple as that. CC pursued this fight like any of his past victories. It just wasnt his day.

"This new generation of fighters have NOTHING to lose."

They don't yet anyway. Lots of fighters start their careers as fearless aggressors, like Arlovski.

Then they get a belt and start thinking pragmatically. The most boring win does not earn any less than an exciting one. The paycheck is the same.

Barring under the table deals of course.

He was passive, but I don't know that it was a bad strategy. He didn't want to get into trading right off, because of course you can always get caught, and it sets him up to be taken down. I think he was waiting for Gonzaga to cool it a bit, even get a little winded. Hindsight's always 20/20.

tough call...that kick was damn unexpected, esp. real time! still, he allowed himself to be pummeled on the ground and thus did not go out like a killer...

i blame van damm. seriously though strikers have to stop thinking BJJ guys can't throw, they have to see them as dangerous everywhere.

CroCop has amazing takedown defense; Gonzaga just had a perfect gameplan. You know he was just waiting to catch that kick.

"CC pursued this fight like any of his past victories. It just wasnt his day."

But its mandatory that UG people try and come up with some real deep explanation/"analyis."