UFC confirmed rumors Tuesday that Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will headline against Frank Mir in the new UFC 119 main event.
Cro Cop replaces Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, who was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a presently-undisclosed injury. In addition to giving Nogueira a chance to avenge his 2008 loss to Mir, the original fight would have also created a situation in which the two top fights featured brothers–scheduled for the co-main-event is Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Ryan Bader.
The Cro Cop fight nonetheless still offers intrigue. Following his crushing loss to Junior dos Santos, Cro Cop has rebounded with consecutive wins over Anthony Perosh and Pat Barry. Mir nonetheless represents a step-up in competition and a serious chance for Cro Cop to prove he can still compete with the upper-tier of the heavyweight division.
For Mir, meanwhile, the fight is his first chance to erase the sting of the devastating knockout loss to Shane Carwin. Two of Mir’s recent successes in the UFC involved his making quick work of kickboxers–Antoni Hardonk and Cheick Kongo–but while the latter actually has a win over Cro Cop, neither of those fighters had his experience and skillset as it relates to potentially neutralizing Mir’s strengths.
UFC 119 takes place on September 25 in Indianapolis.