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Welcome to From the Vault - a series here at Head Kick Legend focused on classic fights from kickboxing's past. With more and more fans discovering kickboxing every day, this series aims to revisit some of the sport's greatest fights.

ERNESTO HOOST v. MIRKO CRO COP FILIPOVIC
K-1 Grand Prix Finals 1999
December 5, 1999

From MMA fans new to K-1 and kickboxing, one of the most common questions I hear is "So just how good was Cro Cop in K-1?" As an MMA fighter, much is made of Mirko's K-1 experience, but then again much is also made of Cheick Kongo's kickboxing skills whenever he has a UFC fight, so it can be hard for someone with no K-1 knowledge to evaluate Cro Cop's position. The short answer - he was really quite good. For the long answer, let's take a close look at the 1999 K-1 Grand Prix Finals.

Mirko Filipovic made a splashy K-1 debut in 1996. A 22 year old amateur boxer with a claimed record of 40-5, Filipovic dove right in to the deep waters, making his K-1 and professional kickboxing debut as part of the 1996 Grand Prix, facing a young Jerome Le Banner in the opening round. In a mild upset, Cro Cop defeated Le Banner via decision, earning himself a spot in the next round against one of K-1's earliest superstars, Ernesto Hoost. Already an experienced veteran, Hoost was a huge challenge for any man to face in only his 2nd pro bout, and while Cro Cop gave it a great showing, Hoost ultimately defeated him in round 3.

For Cro Cop, this was a temporary end to his kickboxing career, as he stepped away for three years, returning in 1999 with wins over Jan Nortje and Ricky Nickolson and a decision loss to Xhavit Bajrami, all outside of K-1. His K-1 return took place on October 5, 1999 in the opening round of the 1999 Grand Prix. His opponent was GP veteran Mike Bernardo, and the fight is most definitely one to watch:

And with that, in many ways, the legend of Cro Cop was born. It's amazing that Bernardo survives that first kick, but it is clear here what kind of striking power Mirko possesses. He followed that up with stoppage victories over Musashi in the quarter finals and Sam Greco in the semi-finals, earning him his first trip to the finals of the K-1 Grand Prix. As luck would have it, his opponent was a man he knew.

After his first encounter with Cro Cop, Ernesto Hoost had continued to carve out his legend in K-1. The 1997 Grand Prix champion, Ernesto had defeated a who's who of kickboxing names, including Maurice Smith, Peter Aerts, Andy Hug, Jerome Le Banner, and many more, with Hug and Le Banner falling prey to Hoost in the quarter and semi final round of the 1999 Grand Prix respectively. With the finals set as a Hoost v. Filipovic rematch from 1996, Hoost had to be considered the favorite thanks to his experience and prior win, but Mirko's devastating power was an obvious wild card.

In the end, Hoost's accuracy simply proved too much for Cro Cop. As he did in the Le Banner fight, look at the way Hoost zeroes in on an injury and takes his opponent right out of the game. From the moment Cro Cop holds his side, you know it's just a matter of time - and not much time at that. Hoost's technical, pinpoint striking takes the win here, giving Mr. Perfect his 2nd GP crown.

For Cro Cop, this would be the closest he ever came to a GP title. He continued on in K-1 regularly for another 2 years, and sporadically through 2003. While his name may not be in the record books as a Grand Prix champion, there is no denying Mirko Filipovic was, at one time, one of the very best kickboxers in the world. While I don't anticipate ever seeing that same fighter again, let's hope his next outing possesses a hint of the fire seen here against Hoost.