Former PRIDE Fighters Adapt to Cage-Style Aggression - Fight Network

Since Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta’s purchase of Japan’s PRIDE Fighting Championships on March 27, a pilgrimage of foreign competitors have entered the UFC’s famed Octagon and suffered its eight-sided consequences.

Former PRIDE fighters Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (22-6-2) and Fabricio Werdum (9-3-1) have been two of the notable casualties; however both have expressed nothing but optimism in interviews with Croatian and Brazilian newspapers regarding their returns to the Octagon, sometime in the next few months.

Filipovic and Werdum, who trained together in the past, will be pursuing two very different training camps to prepare themselves for what have been difficult transitions from the ring to the cage. The Croatian striker returns to Holland with new training plans, while the Brazilian submissions specialist continues his intense training regime under the tutelage of the legendary Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil.

Cro Cop was vague when discussing his new training needs, only saying that he felt he needed to gain weight and muscle mass before returning to the UFC.

“In the fight against Gonzaga and Kongo, I’ve noticed that I must gain weight,” said Filipovic. “I am losing strength in the clinch against heavier opponents. We’ll do it progressively so I won’t lose speed.”

The 2006 PRIDE Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion, Filipovic’s two losses to previously unranked heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo have been the most disappointing for fans starved for his paralyzing high left head kicks. The Croatian has recently undergone surgery for a deviated septum to clear his nasal passage, and is reporting remarkable results already.

Werdum has been much more specific in his strategy, emphasizing that stand-up and cardio were his main priorities while training with Chute Boxe.

“I’ve never trained so much in my life,” said Werdum. “I’ve been here for two months and am already feeling an impressive difference. I am starting to dominate the standing as much as the ground game. The knees are better, so are the kicks, but the biggest improvement is my aggressiveness. I didn’t have it before.”

Werdum made his UFC debut in April 2007, with a loss to former UFC Heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. He was 4-2-0 in PRIDE with wins over Alistair Overeem (25-11-0), Jon Olav Einemo (6-1-0), Roman Zentsov (16-11-0) and Tom Erikson (9-3-1).

Werdum believes his UFC return is imminent.

“I spoke with my manager and he said November, I think it’s too soon,” said Werdum. “But it will be in 2007.”

Though Nov. 17’s UFC 79 card is completely booked, there are pending shows December and February in Las Vegas, as well as a planned event in Newcastle, Eng. in January.

“I thought it would be Tim Sylvia,” said Werdum. “But that’s not happening. There’s also a rumor that it may be Frank Mir, but the way I’m training now it can be anyone.”

Filipovic is expected to make his return in early 2008.

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- I have said it before, Cro Cop needs to join an experienced camp with EXPERIENCED UFC fighters to feed off of. I am a big Cro Cop fan and I have been very disappointed by his showing against UFC fighters. We all know what he is capable of, however his fights have been extremely dispappointing. Mirko's fights have demostrated his training is not preparing to win, ITS NOT WORKING so mix it up. Mirko states he needs to gain weight, maybe so but that better not be your whole focus or goal in order to win.

If Filipovic loses again, he is finished in the UFC, Dana White will can him.