Sherdog’s Top 10: Fights That Failed to Live Up to Their Hype

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2. Mirko Filipovic vs. Josh Barnett

The once-beaten Barnett had a strong claim to being one of the very best heavyweights in the world in the fall of 2004. His only loss was to Brazilian kickboxer Pedro Rizzo, and he held wins over Dan Severn, Semmy Schilt and Randy Couture. A pair of failed drug tests cast a shadow over his accomplishments, but in Japan, nobody was asking what a fighter put in his system before, during or after the fights.

Barnett won five straight fights in Japan after the UFC stripped him of its heavyweight title following the win over Couture. Pride was happy to acquire his services, and booked him against former kickboxer and all-around killer Filipovic. “Cro Cop” was 12-2-2, with his only losses coming via submission to the great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and by freak knockout to Kevin Randleman. Filipovic’s ultra-quick sprawl made for a fascinating matchup with Barnett’s emphasis on takedowns and aggressive top control.

A crowd of 24,000 was on hand at the Saitama Super Arena for Pride 28 “High Octane,” which would be headlined by the rematch between middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva and Quinton Jackson on Oct. 31, 2004. Barnett and Filipovic started promisingly enough, with the American pressuring “Cro Cop” around the ring and capitalizing on a missed high kick to establish top position within the first 15 seconds of the fight. However, 30 seconds later, Barnett frantically tapped. It is unclear precisely how it happened, but the American suffered a devastating shoulder injury that involved both a dislocation and simultaneous fracture.

It was an unexpected and shocking end to a hyped fight. The two would go on to fight twice more, with Filipovic winning both. However, their first meeting ended with dissatisfaction all around.

Number 1 » The flipside of his unbelievable talent and skill is the sensitive moodiness of the true artiste. His interest comes and goes, and it is difficult to predict precisely which opponents or styles will catch his eye from fight to fight. When his head is in the game, no fighter has ever been able to match his swagger, charisma and penchant for pulling off the unthinkable, but when his attention is elsewhere, the result has historically been a lackluster fight.