Joe Rogan was always a big fan of PRIDE and UFC legend Mirko Cro Cop who has got one of the best highlight reels in the history of the sport.
When reflecting on his loss to Brendan Schaub, Rogan credited Cro Cop with taking MMA to “another level” due to the devastating striking that he brought to the table.
If there’s one other aspect of the MMA legend’s career that the UFC commentator is a huge fan of it’s the iconic moment before his first fight with Wanderlei Silva.
In a clip from The Joe Rogan Experience, the fight historian stated that it’s the best stare down of all time with Cro Cop looking like a “straight up killer” as he looks right back at one of the most feared fighters of his time.
Though the Croatian faced many of the legends of his era, one of the recipients of his iconic head kicks was a masked pro wrestler who would go on to become a WWE superstar.
Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Alberto Del Rio with his signature head kick in 46 seconds
At PRIDE Bushido 1 in October of 2003, Mirko Cro Cop would come up against the masked Dos Caras Jr. who would go on to be known as WWE’s Alberto Del Rio.
Caras Jr. was an accomplished amateur wrestler who turned to both pro wrestling and MMA around the same time after missing out on the 2000 Olympic Games.
After fighting five times in Japanese promotion DEEP, the 3-2 fighter was brought in to face Cro Cop who at this early stage in his MMA career, had already stopped the likes of Kazushi Sakuraba, Heath Herring and Igor Vovchanchyn to emerge as a superstar in PRIDE.
Caras Jr. wore a mask during the fight as it’s Mexican wrestling tradition that a luchador’s appearance is never revealed in public which isn’t the greatest way to prepare yourself for dealing with one of the most dangerous strikers in the world.
The main event only lasted as long as it did because the masked man tried to clinch or move away from the Croatian but the ticking clock was running out.
After landing two punches, Cro Cop’s third strike would be his signature head kick which crumpled Caras Jr. to the floor even if it appeared to only graze the top of his head.
The knockout artist followed up with one big punch for good measure before the referee could get in between them to wave the fight off.
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Dos Caras Jr. would go on to have much more success as WWE’s Alberto Del Rio
Though he would go on to fight 15 times in his MMA career, with a return to the cage in 2019 where he faced Tito Ortiz, the former Dos Caras Jr. would achieve a lot more success when he was signed to the WWE.
Following a four-year run with Mexican promotion CMLL, Del Rio signed to the WWE and made his main roster debut in 2009.
He became a major player on the roster following SummerSlam 2011 where he cashed in his Money In The Bank contract to pin CM Punk and become the first Mexican-born WWE champion.
Del Rio would be released from the promotion just three years later only to return the following year and get released again in 2016 though he is currently signed to Mexican promotion AAA, which WWE recently acquired, where he wrestles under the name Alberto El Patron.