The UFC invited Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic to enter the octagon for a second tour, even after an unimpressive 1-2 in his first go around. Now they wish they never did.

Cro Cop beat Mustapha al-Turk with a first round TKO at UFC 99, possibly with the help of an eye poke that was not seen by referee Dan Miragliotta. While Cro Cop won in the cage, many will brand him a loser for what was revealed shortly after the fight.

Cro Cop told UFC president Dana White that he would not be returning to the UFC because he had already signed a 3-fight agreement with DREAM. The background here is that White signed Cro Cop to a one-fight deal — something he never does — and had a verbal committment on 2 others.

White had this to say to Yahoo! Sports:

“Isn’t that a dirty [expletive] thing to do?” White asked rhetorically after being queried about Filipovic’s deal with DREAM. “He [expletived] me. The first time in the history of the company I do one over the phone. He promised me a three-fight deal and he [expletived] me.” While speaking with reporters on a prefight conference call, Filipovic enthused about his return and said he was gunning for a title shot. All the while, he apparently knew he was in it for a one-fight deal.

Cro Cop didn’t impress me in the fight. al-Turk was swinging like he was in a bar fight, and frankly does not look like he belongs in the UFC. While I think Cro Cop would have won anyway, the eye-poke may have helped him to that end.

It’s my opinion that Dana White would be wise to replace Cro Cop with the only fighter he beat in his first stint in the UFC: Eddie Sanchez. Sanchez dominated Jay White at Bellator 6 here in Chicago. He was 3-3 in the UFC and had he been in the ring with Cro Cop at UFC 99, he would have beat him into submission. He certainly is a better fighter than al-Turk.

Now Cro Cop is free to run back to DREAM where maybe he can get a rematch with, I don’t know, the vaunted Hong Man Choi.