Bloody Elbow

Last month we reported that Mirko Cro Cop would be back in action in the new year, taking part in a kickboxing fight in Europe this spring. Now, more details are available, and it's good stuff for any K-1 fans.

LiverKick.com is reporting that Cro Cop will be facing fellow K-1 legend Ray Sefo on March 10 in Zagreb, Croatia. The fight has not been officially announced yet, though has been leaked to some press and is expected to be made official early this week. Cro Cop vs. Sefo will headline the regional show, which will likely appear under the K-1 banner, but is not an "official" K-1 show. There are also rumors floating around that it may officially be Cro Cop's retirement fight.

This is really a fantastic fight, and something of a dream fight for K-1 fans. Both Sefo and Cro Cop are among the elite in the history of K-1's heavyweight division, but have never fought before. With both men winding down their careers, the two match up well together.

For Cro Cop, this will be his first kickboxing fight since 2003. From 1996-2003 he put together a 16-7 record under K-1 rules, facing many of the greats of the sport. While Cro Cop never quite broke through to the most elite level of K-1, his run to the finals of the 1999 K-1 Grand Prix, and his wins over men like Mark Hunt, Peter Aerts, Jerome Le Banner, and Bob Sapp (back when that did indeed mean something) earn him strong recognition among K-1 fans.

Sefo is one of K-1's most legendary veterans, with 15 years of experience at the highest level of kickboxing. As a professional kickboxer, he is 56-21-1, with his biggest success coming in 2000 when he made the Grand Prix finals. He has faced every major name in K-1's rich history, and though he had a rough run in 2007-2008, he is 3-1 in his last 4 kickboxing fights. Lately, Sefo has been more focused on his work as a trainer for men like Vitor Belfort, and improving his own MMA career, where he is 2-1.

No word yet on if the fight will be available online, but I certainly hope so. Surely I am not the only one who wants to see these two greats of the sport do their thing one more time. We'll keep you posted on any broadcast or streaming information as it becomes available.