Mirko ‘CroCop’ Filipovic has said he is to hang up his gloves because he lacks the mental strength to handle pre-fight training.
The fighter, nick-named after his Croatian nationality and former career as a police officer, revealed how age was catching up with him despite securing a win over Pat Barry at UFC 115 on Saturday night.
The former Pride Fighter continued, “In addition to winning the Pride Grand Prix Finals, it’s my favorite fight of my career [but] most of the training proved to me that I am now too old for this…I don’t know about a new contract with the UFC.
“I believe that I gave this game a lot, I fought with the greatest fighters,†he told Croatian news site Jutarnji.
“For 20 years I lived this life and now I have no motivation for the fight, no mental strength for all the Spartan training. I am no longer so hungry for victory. I will not stop training, but if I am asleep I’ll stay in bed and practice an hour later.â€
