TAPPED OUT
Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren was submitted by ex-UFC superstar Mirko Cro Cop in one MMA training session.
The Croatia international, who is now plying his trade in Russia at Zenit St Petersburg, managed to last around 50 seconds in the cage before tapping out to an arm bar.
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Cro Cop (real name Mirko Filipovic) is best known for his time fighting in Pride FC where he earned international acclaim for his devastating kickboxing ability.
His signature move was a left head kick, with experts once describing his ability to render opponents unconscious as ‘right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery’.
Yet Lovren still decided to get into the cage with the former anti-terrorist Special Forces operative as he did not have a game at the weekend with Zenit.
The 31-year-old is currently training for his country’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers and got into a friendly spar with Cro Cop.
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The former Reds star was thrown to the ground before having to eventually tap out to his compatriot, with Lovren sharing the footage to Instagram.
“Had this morning a short training session against @crocop1009,” he wrote on Instagram. "What a beast this man still is.
“Was a big pleasure Mirko. Thank you."
Lovren left Anfield in 2020 after winning the Champions League and the Premier League but defensive frailties and injuries have struck down Jurgen Klopp’s side this term.
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Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT last month, Lovren insisted he did not regret his decision to move to Russia and captain one of the biggest sides in the country.
He said: ““Yes of course I could do the job but like I said do I have regrets? No.
“I was there for six years and for four-and-a-half years I had a really good time but for the last year-and-a-half it was not a good time.
“Did they use me as much as I wanted? No, but I accepted it. I don’t regret going away as I’m playing every week and I’m a captain now so it’s totally different.”