Photo credit to ESPN.co.uk
Anthony Perosh chronicles (the road back to UFC vs Cro Cop)
Anthony Perosh is a pioneer of MMA in Australia. He has competed at both light heavyweight, as well as heavyweight and is a UFC veteran.
In part three of the Anthony Perosh chronicles, The Hippo discusses the bouts between his octagon tenures and returning to the UFC fold for a short notice fight with Mirko Cro Cop.
Anthony Perosh
Competing with Cage Fighting Championship and Rize MMA Australia between his UFC tenures
“After my two UFC losses, I got released from UFC. So it was like back to the drawing board. I knew I wanted to get back into the UFC again. This time as a light heavyweight. So I went back to the local circuit. Fought on the local circuit. Had match after match, win after win. Until I got my shot back in the UFC.”
Improvements between first and second UFC run
“Absolutely like just in the way we train too. I fought in my second UFC run with a striking coach, a wrestling coach, a BJJ coach, and an overall MMA coach. Plus, worked on strength and conditioning, nutrition. Had the whole package. So I was more than ready for my second run.”
Anthony Perosh continued, “Absolutely. The experience in doing the full training camps and then the weight cut. Rehydrating and then preparing for the fight. It’s invaluable experience.”
Perosh vs Cro Cop
How interacting with Joe Silva in a hotel lobby lead to fighting Mirko Cro Cop
“I remember it like it was yesterday as well. Cro Cop was actually using my gym the week of the fight. So he was coming every day into my gym. Using my facilities and training with his coaches. So I became friends with him. And then two days before the fight, Joe Silva comes up. Looks me up and down and says what do you weigh? I said oh about 220… And I thought I was gonna replace Elvis Sinosic. Because he just pulled out of his fight against Chris Haseman which was a light heavyweight match.”
“So I thought was gonna jump into that match. And then Joe Silva just all of a sudden pulls out, oh do you want to fight Cro Cop? And I looked at him and went no. I actually said no…And then about an hour later, I’m just thinking to myself, what did I just do? I just turned down fighting one of the biggest names in MMA in front of my home crowd. On the first UFC card in Australia. I called him back, Joe Silva, and I said Nah, I want to do it.”
How the story of the Mirko Cro Cop fight unfurled and what it did for Perosh’s career
“During that fight, I was keeping my distance. I wasn’t playing my striking game and I was able to get close and put him against the cage. I actually grabbed like a single leg going for a single leg takedown. But I remember in my head I was already celebrating too early. Thinking about I want to get him to the ground soon.”
“But unfortunately, it didn’t happen. I should have kept going with that takedown. Until I actually had him on the ground. But yeah, I learned a lot from that fight. And then after that fight, Joe Silva gave me a four-fight contract with the UFC. With my next match being as a light heavyweight.”
