Croats and Japanese have so little in common. Maybe it's even better to say nothing except that Mirko Filipovic is a hero to both nations. In Croatia he is one of the icons of sports scene, and in Japan is practically a deity. Although he didn't fought for four years in the Land of the Rising Sun, most Japanese will bow down to the floor even if you only mention his left hand, and in their eyes you will see the passion that has not disappeared despite the huge crisis that hit the combat sport in this country.

If you are a Croat, the first thing you'll face at the same minute you enter Japan is - Aaaa Mirko Cro Cop!, with gesticulations matching those of Mirko, which shows the love and respect they cherish for him. The legend lives on ..

Lets get back to the beginning of the story. Croats and Japanese really have nothing in common. They are quiet, humble, hard-working, their society is governed as the finest pharmacies. Always thinking of others first, and then about themselves. And Croats are ... Maybe it's better not to go into details and explain, but the differences are obvious. Cro Cop still manages to connect both extremes and to connect these two nations. The Japanese have recognized in him a samurai spirit, maximum commitment to the sport and martial indisputable quality. Even now, when he is no longer in his prime and best results are behind him, Filipovic has remained a great professional. On an extremely important match against Randy Blake, who follows him on Sunday, Cro Cop arrived in the Japanese metropolis with his team almost a week earlier in order to acclimate maximally and that nothing would be left to chance.

At the age of 38 attention should be payed to every detail, knowing that even the smallest details are important, and Randy Blake is a serious task that must be completed successfully, and then prepare for an assault on the K-1 title that escaped from him in 1999th.

Now his motivation is bigger, the desire even stronger. The bad episodes in the UFC awakened additional defiance, his team says he is maximum ready, completely healthy and "alight" to the limit. Frankly speaking, the opportunity that it's offered to him is unique and hardly will be repeated ever again.

Laschenko, Gerges, Catinas, Londt - names that certainly should not be underestimated, but with his quality and experience, Cro Cop still stands out as one of the favorites. Matches against Sefo and Lorena were a good guide, although all of the team and Filipovic himself are aware that room for improvement still exist.

American karate fighter on the other side of the ring will be a great indicator of whether the progress is achieved. Is Mirko completely "transformed" on kick boxing and big gloves.

After a few days of quality training in Tokyo, Cro Cop reserved Friday for rest and relaxation. In the afternoon hours he only did easier stretching which is understandably ahead of tomorrow's pretty busy day. On Saturday, the organizers, in fact, planned to double the program - the official weigh-in and press conference at which the public will be presented to all couples. What the most important thing is, according to Cro Cop coach - Mirko acclimated and adapted to weather and climate change.

Unfortunately, the organizers did not succeed in the promotion of the K-1 Final 16 tournament. Although Cro Cop remains a "heart attack" on the streets of Tokyo, very few know that Filipovic will compete on Sunday in the Japanese capital. With all the effort you could not find a single poster, video on TV or a billboard announcing the K-1 tournament. When you have a super star who filled Saitama Super Arena to the last seat and breaks all box office records in Japan in martial arts, then you must use that. People who now lead the K-1 clearly have their own, another vision of how to re-popularize the sport and return it to the path of the old glory. But it's still another story that should be left for another time ..









