Mirko Cro Cop had a brilliant response when he was offered a fight against Francis Ngannou.
Ngannou is set to return to MMA as the co-main event of Most Valuable Promotions’ card on May 16.
The bout caught plenty of fans off guard, especially after Ngannou later revealed that Rico Verhoeven was the original plan.
Taking on ‘The Predator’ may seem like a huge chance for many fighters, but one MMA legend didn’t hesitate to turn it down.
Mirko Cro Cop laughed off the offer to fight Francis Ngannou in May
Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images
During a chat with RMC Sport Combat, Mirko Cro Cop mentioned he’d been approached about an MMA fight with Francis Ngannou by someone he described as “a serious guy,” adding the person is the “CEO of one big organisation.”
Cro Cop, who finished his career on a high note back in 2019, walked away from fighting due to health issues, including a stroke. Since then, he’s been selective about any opportunities that come his way.
He also pointed out that even if he was interested, there wasn’t enough time to get ready for a bout scheduled in May. He didn’t specify whether the offer was directly linked to Most Valuable Promotions.
“I said, ‘What do you mean, did you say fight? Did you use the word fight, or did you use the words playing cards, chess, swimming, or running? You mean fight?’… I started laughing,” Cro Cop explained.
He added: “If I had to fight now and they said make a list from the worst to the best that you will fight, of course, Francis Ngannou will be the last one that I fight.”
The Croatian legend joked that while he’d only ask for $500k himself for such a bout – knowing full well it wouldn’t end well for him – he’d want to give his mother $19.5m after telling her what he was planning.
“They should have called me three months before, but who would pay 20 million? Who would spend that money when he kills me?”, he concluded.