UK Edition
Exclusive: Mirko Cro Cop injured and out of Bellator 200 headline event against Roy Nelson
Heavyweight Mirko Cro Cop has been forced to withdraw from the headline event against Roy Nelson through "an undisclosed injury" at Bellator 200 at Wembley Arena on Friday night.
It was to be the Croatian's debut with the fight league.
The Croatian fight sports legend is understood to have suffered a leg injury and a replacement to face Nelson, the American heavyweight, is currently being sought by the fight league for the blockbuster card which includes the middleweight title fight featuring champion Michael Carvalho against Gegard Mousasi.
Cro Cop, who has previously fought twice in the UK in a long and decorated career, was the 2006 Pride Open-Weight Grand Prix Champion, the 2012 K-1 World Grand Prix Champion and the 2016 Rizin Openweight Grand Prix Champion.
Cro Cop is renowned for his dangerous knockout left head-kick, once famously described as "right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery."
Cro Cop, short for "Croatian Cop", comes from his membership in the Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit, Croatia's elite Police Special Forces tactical unit, with the fighter also having served as a politician in his homeland.
Ryan Grab, Senior Director of Communications & Athlete Strategy at Bellator MMA, confirmed the news to Telegraph Sport on Monday:
"Mirko Cro Cop has suffered an undisclosed injury and has been forced off the card, and we are looking at replacements, though for the time being Carvalho-Mousasi has been moved to the main event and British standout Michael 'Venom' Page against American David Rickels has been elevated up to the co-main event fight."
A saving grace for the card is that it is replete with major fights, including British light-heavyweight Linton Vassell facing former light heavyweight champion Phil Davis, the winner of which should be in line for a title challenge against champion Ryan Bader, while broad interest will centre on reality tv star Aaron Chalmers, making his debut on Bellator in his fourth MMA fight, against fellow British fighter Ash Griffiths, in his fourth professional contest.
The event is to be shown live on SpikeUK from 9pm on Friday night.