Before I start, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the fact that Saturday, March 8, 2014 at Glory 14 in Zagreb may be the last time I get to see Remy Bonjasky leap into the sky and knee someone in the face. Mr. Bonjasky has announced that, win or lose, this will be his retirement. If May is as uneventful as February was for me, this may be the only time I cry this month. However, let’s not waste energy mourning loss of one of the greatest phenomena in modern kickboxing history, but instead let’s celebrate his illustrious career and the fact that he is ending it in one of the most fitting ways possible. This Saturday, Remy will fight his last fight against none other than the also-legendary Mirko Cro Cop Filopovic. This promises to be epic no matter who wins, as both men have long, accomplished careers, have already fought each other before and are both champions in their own right with signature moves that scream “FINISH HIM” like a real life Mortal Combat.
As mentioned earlier, Remy is known for his flying knees and high kicks. Even when fighting opponents much larger and taller than him (I’m looking at you, Akebono!), shins, feet, and knees to the face are pretty commonplace. There’s a beauty in how Bonjasky extends his leg that looks more like a dancer than fighter, which Bonjasky himself has said is due to his fighting being “more about intelligence than brute strength.” Even though he knows his kicks will hurt no matter what, he is patient enough to wait for the most opportune time execute.
On the other hand, and speaking of brute strength, let’s talk about Cro Cop’s left leg. “Right leg hospital, left leg cemetery” is a phrase that is almost cliché at this point in history, but there’s really no other way to describe the damage this one limb has done to a number of very strong men. Filipovic, who has competed as a kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and boxer, is a fighter who is not only tactical in his striking, but also really powerful. He has already bested Bonjasky once in 2002 during the K-1 Grand Prix with sheer brutality and power. Initially rattled by that infamous left leg, Bonjasky couldn’t seem to regain footing enough to combat the onslaught of Cro Cop’s strikes. For about a minute and a half, until the ref ultimately stopped the fight, Remy remained almost motionless trying to block strikes as he waited for his time to strike. Sometimes, thinking too much doesn’t pay off.
Whatever the result, Glory 14 promises to be a night to remember. Two legends going at it is never a dull fight, and these two guys are the kind of stuff martial arts movies are made of. In the build up to his final fight, Bonjasky stated that this fight would end with a KO. If it does, it would only be right if that KO came from a flying knee or a left leg.
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