UFC 119: The Best of the Conference Call Quotes With Frank Mir and Mirko Cro Cop

UFC 119 takes place next Saturday at the Canseco Fieldhouse in Indianopolis, Indiana and in the main event will be former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir against the legendary Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.

On today's UFC conference call, Mir and "Cro Cop" both broke down the fight and discussed their respective futures in the heavyweight division.

This is the best of today's UFC 119 conference call.

Filipovic on his ground game:

"If it touches the ground I'll tap right away."

"Of course Frank is a more experienced grappler than I am, but don't forget that I've been training jiu jitsu for 10 years.  I'm not sure that I'm on the same level of grappler like Frank, Frank is maybe the best grappler in the UFC today.  Definitely I won't touch my luck with him in the ground."

Mir on his opponent changing from Nogueira to Filipovic:

"It was a drastic change as far as opponents, right handed to left handed, a decent boxer to someone who truly has knockout power, and a ground fighter vs. a guy who doesn't want to get to the ground."  

"The enthusiasm behind the change helped motivate me.  The idea of fighting Nogueira again, it's obviously that I understand he wants a rematch and because I became successful in our last fight I'm not as ambitious towards that rematch that he would be."

"But Fighting Mirko, once I heard about that challenge, regardless of what people say and his notoriety in America, I know who he is and so I like the idea of the challenge.  I realize he is a dangerous opponent and a former Pride superstar and so I was very motivated by the idea.  I looked at it as this is an improve over what I have to gain over my last opponent."

Filipovic on his career:

"I've had a long career and I don't think any of those fighters have had as many fights as I have.  I've had altogether 33 K-1 fights, altogether 37 MMA fights, and 44 amateur boxing fights."

"Every fight or any fight could be the last one.  This is a hard sport, this is a brutal sport. Any new injury especially since turned 36 a few days ago, any injury would definitely take me out of the competition.  In my ages, with my experience, with so many fights on my back, it would be hard to start over again."

"I will keep fighting as long as I feel good, but any fight could be my last one.  Maybe this fight with Frank could be my last one, maybe I'll do three more fights, I don't know."

Mir on the idea of a 225-230lbs weight class:

"No I don't think there is enough us to advocate that type of slip.  I think it would just make it even that much more shallow.  Of all the divisions the heavyweight division is the least stacked."

"As far as does it make to an unfair advantage in size?  I don't believe so, I believe in the past it was a mental excuse on my part to sit there and go that's the size that's really all the factor.  I still think it's a strong contributing factor, but still there's a lot of technique too."

"Typically though all the time, the NCAA champs aren't at the very top of that weight class.  So in a sport where collegiate wrestling is a huge advantage, you still see champions who aren't pushing the upper echelon of that weight class to where if you're not cutting weight you have no chance.  It boils down to the fact that they have excellent technique coupled with their strength and power and size.

On the idea of fighting Randy Couture next for Mir:

"I have the outmost respect for Randy, I've trained with Randy, I think he's a pain to have to fight for anybody.  If the opportunity came to fight Randy, I obviously think he's a legend, and we're all fighters."

"I don't think I would relish the idea, just for the reason being Randy kind of holds an aspect in my mind because I look up to him in a lot of ways of our sport.  I don't know if I could come home and everyday train that I'm going to inflict damage on Randy Couture and try to do so.  And that being said, he's not someone I'd ever want to take lightly because he's still a very dangerous opponent.

On the idea of fighting Randy Couture next for Filipovic:

"I prefer to stay concentrated on this particular fight, later on we will see.  I don't like to think in the category if."

It was announced that later tonight that both Filipovic and Mir will be interviewed tonight on Spike TV during "Ultimate Fight Night 22" via satellite.