“Cro Cop” will finish his 2014 wearing MMA gloves. | Photo: TJ De Santis/Sherdog.com
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will defend his newly won Inoki Genome Federation title on Dec. 31 as part of the company’s annual New Year’s Eve show, “Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014.”
Filipovic claimed the IGF championship -- a pro-wrestling belt turned MMA title -- in August, when the Croatian veteran sliced open Satoshi Ishii with an elbow strike to force a second-round doctor stoppage. IGF officials Tuesday noted that a New Year’s Eve rematch was a possibility before Ishii suffered a rib injury last month, one which forced his withdrawal from M-1 Challenge 53 in Beijing.
IGF is expected to announce its complete New Year’s Eve card on Dec. 1, when the company stages “Road to Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2014 Fan Fest” at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.