UFC Fight Night Krakow: 3 Fights for Mirko Cro Cop to Take Next

UFC Fight Night 64 came live to us on Saturday via UFC Fight Pass and was the first event to took place in Poland. The card was critically panned during the lead-up and throughout the actual event, but one man garnered a positive reception regardless.

In the main event, Mirko Cro Cop scored a third-round TKO stoppage of Gabriel Gonzaga in a revenge match. Cro Cop dropped the first two rounds but stunned and finished Gonzaga with elbows and punches.

That win reversed a head-kick knockout loss years ago to Gonzaga, a loss that had haunted Cro Cop.

What's next for the Pride legend? We examine three possible opponents going forward.

Winner of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Stefan Struve 

UFC 190 is currently home to a heavyweight showdown between the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Stefan Struve. That fight could provide an opponent for Cro Cop, as the winner would be a suitable adversary for him. 

Cro Cop fought Big Nog in Pride early in career but fell via armbar. Both men are clearly past their prime yet are legends of the sport, so that fight is intriguing. Also, Cro Cop is undefeated in rematches, so he could potentially exact his revenge.

As for Struve, a bout between him and Cro Cop could easily grace a European card. Both are from the continent and primarily strikers, which would make for an interesting scrap.

Keep an eye on this one. The winner could be a perfect fit for Cro Cop next.

Alexey Oliynyk

Going along with the revenge pattern, another potential opponent for Cro Cop could be Alexey Oliynyk.

The two fought back in November 2013 in Legend. The Ukrainian was able to earn a first-round submission, which propelled him into the UFC.

As stated, Cro Cop has never lost a rematch. He's the master of gaining revenge, so he could search for that if he met Oliynyk again.

This is another match that could grace a card in Europe or Russia, if the UFC finally arrives there.

Antonio Silva

Cro Cop is a novelty fighter and should be treated that way. So in many ways, a bout against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva makes a lot of sense.

For starters, both men are past their prime. Second, neither is in title contention, so it would be a nice featured bout.

Silva's chin has been questionable at best in recent times. If Cro Cop were to land a strong shot, he could put the Brazilian out.

Of course, Silva could always win too. I guess the only way to find out is to pair these two up.