Bob Sapp vs. Cro-Cop Filipovic

[Tom Yum]

http://www.noholdsbarred.tv/kickboxingclips.html

This is a link that has a downloadable WMV of the fight! It takes a long time to down load. See 'Bob Sap vs. Filipovic'. The remainder of the writing is my own.

Stats:

Sapp (from PrideFC)
6'5"
370 lbs
Maximum Bench Press: 660 lbs
NFL Lineman, trained by Mo Smith
3-1-1 MMA, kickboxing ? - beat Hoost.

Cro-Cop Filipovic (K-1)
6'2"
227 lbs
Pro record: 29W - 7L - 14KO


Sapp charges as usual, while Crocop fires a couple of jabs and hooks. The hits land, but Sapp keeps charging to force a clinch (I imagine he is trying to tire Crocop by using his weight in the clinch).

Crocop disengages and circles outside of Sapps power hand (classical boxing/MT strategy). He throws a thai kick to the head which Sapp covers. Sapp forces Crocop into the corner and throws a massive left hook which Crocop bobs under and jabs away. Ref seperates them so that Crocop can adjust his groin protector?

Crocop continues to circle and jab his way outside of Sapps charge tactic and around the perimeter of the ring. Crocop lands a cut kick into Sapps ribs. Sapp momentarily covers and slightly leans in the spot he got kicked (Crocop found Sapps weakspot!) and continues to charge after Crocop. He telgraphs a big cross and before he can chamber, Crocop goes to the ribs again with a cut kick which clearly stuns Sapp and he begins to fall slowly to the ground (allmost in slow motion!) As he begins to tumble to the ground, Cro cop follows with a l cross and the ref jumps between.

Sapp is hugging his ribs on the ground and looks like he's about to cry - dang.

Winner: Crocop, KO 1rd 1:29

[fugetsu]

watch the clip again

As I saw on Japanese TV, (which repeated at various angles multiple times) the finishing blow was a left kick, left cross combo. After scoring with a left kick, Milco then throws a bomb of a left cross. This breaks a few bones in Sapp's right eye, he falls to the ground, spits out his mouth piece and gets counted out. The eye injury, and later surgery have kept Bob out of the ring for a while. He may be back for the elimination rounds in the fall, but, we shall see.

[poisonarrow]

This is the K-1 GP from Saitama? I thought it was 2nd Round KO, Sapp dominated the 1st round?

[Tom Yum]

Did you guys see the Hoost/Sapp fight? Hoost assumes his normal brawling style, with little defence. When Sapp unloads the straights, Hoost just covers and doesn't go for the angle.

Hoost does a good job of hurting Sapp with thai kicks to the leg, but in the end he gets overwehlmed by Sapps power and goes to the canvas.

[JP Prideaux]

Im not too fond of Sapp.

Hate him.

hate hate hate hate HATE SAPP!!!

[Tom Yum]

Well, can't say I know the guy enough to hate him, but he's big and strong. I was actually pissed that he beat Hoost. Hoost is a powerhouse, but realized he needs better defense against someone more powerful - Filipovic made note of that for his fight prep against Sapp.

[JP Prideaux]

Hoost shouldnt have been so cocky... laying off with the low-kicks (which was clearly going to bring Sapp down) and switching to punches.

Hoost started 2002 by using more fists than he usually does. I had a gut feeling it might get him into trouble later in the year. The way he fought Jan The Giant (one of our guys) was the same way he shouldve fought Sapp... keep a distance - sting with low-kicks until he cant take it any more.

I guess Sapps face seemed like an easy target for Hoost's fists, even though it clearly wasnt doing much to hurt him (probably irritated Sapp more than anything else).

Ah well.

[Tom Yum]

I saw the clips of Hoost vs Nortje and noticed how he chopped the giant down. You can even see the clip of Sapp allmost hobbling - I agree about the cockyness part, he shouldn't have gone toe to toe.

Do you train in SA?

[aseepish]

Late reply

I still can`t get used to seeing Bob Sapp everywhere (on ice-cream labels, software advertising, TV variety shows) here...