UFC 70: Gonzaga Turns Cro Cop’s Signature Weapon Against Him
On April 21, 2007, Gabriel Gonzaga knocked out Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic at UFC 70: Nations Collide in Manchester, England. His first-round head kick ended the main event at 4:51 at Manchester Evening News Arena and supplied the defining moment of the ten-fight card.
A heavyweight upset takes center stage
Cro Cop was celebrated for his own head-kick finishes, making Gonzaga’s choice of weapon especially memorable. This time the Croatian was on the receiving end. The main event ended inside one round, while several supporting contenders had to work through all fifteen minutes.
Andrei Arlovski defeated Fabricio Werdum by unanimous decision. Lyoto Machida also won unanimously against David Heath, and Cheick Kongo took a majority decision over Assuerio Silva. Those three distance fights contrasted sharply with the sudden conclusion of Gonzaga’s meeting with Cro Cop.
Bisping wins; the preliminaries deliver finishes
Michael Bisping stopped Elvis Sinosic with punches in the second round. Terry Etim submitted Matt Grice with a first-round guillotine choke, while Junior Assuncao submitted David Lee with a rear-naked choke at 1:55 of round two.
Alessio Sakara stopped Victor Valimaki with punches at 1:44 of the opening round. Jess Liaudin submitted Dennis Siver with an armbar at 1:21 of round one, and Paul Taylor stopped Edilberto de Oliveira with a head kick and punches at 0:37 of round three.
Every preliminary bout ended before the final bell. The Manchester audience saw submissions, striking finishes and close decisions, but Gonzaga’s knockout ensured the heavyweight headliner remained the night’s lasting image.
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UFC 70, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop, Michael Bisping, Manchester, MMA history
