Philippine Sports News and Updates

MANILA -- Former mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipović will make his way back to the Octagon when he faces a young heavyweight contender in UFC 103: Franklin vs. Belfort.

Cro Cop, who rose to MMA stardom courtesy of his devastating left kick, will be fighting a dangerous striker in Brazilian Junior Dos Santos.

“Dos Santos is definitely one of the young lions in the UFC. He’s a good fighter and he had two fights in the UFC, won both of them by KO in the first round,” said the 35-year-old Croatian, who has an MMA record of 25-6-2.

Cro Cop said he will definitely watch out for Dos Santos’s fast hands, which victimized several heavyweight fighters.

“It will be a tough fight,” he said.

The 25-year-old Dos Santos, meanwhile, said facing an MMA legend like Cro Cop will surely bring out his best.

He said the prospect of slugging it out with a top-caliber fighter motivates him to train hard and be focused with his craft.

“Fighting a guy like Cro Cop who's a very experienced fighter, who's a legend in the sport motivates me. I like that role, I like to fight the guy with the big name. It motivates me and I feel comfortable,” said Cro Cop, who has already compiled an MMA record of 8-1.

The fight will be in the main card of UFC 103 slated at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

• ABS-CBN