Mirko Filipovi? is a Croatian heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, retired boxer, politician, and law enforcement officer. He is the former 2006 Pride World Grand Prix Open-Weight Champion and the former K-1 World Grand Prix Champion becoming the only the second man in the world to win major MMA championship and K-1 World Grand Prix Championship and he is current IGF Heavyweight Champion . His nickname, Cro Cop, short for "Croatian Cop", comes from his membership in the Lu?ko Anti-Terrorist Unit, Croatia's elite Police Special Forces tactical unit. Filipovi? owed his mixed martial arts success to a combination of elite-level kickboxing and near-impregnable takedown defense, making him one of the most dangerous strikers in history and a prototype for the modern sprawl and brawler. Filipovi?'s signature move was his lightning quick left head-kick, once famously described as "right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery." His legacy remains as a true legend in mixed martial arts, as well as one of the greatest heavyweights in the history of the sport. Mirko was also a successful amateur boxer. [More at Wikipedia]

September 10th, 1974 in Vinkovci (Age 49) as Mirko Filipović