Branko was a dirty bastard. He never fought in MMA besides 2-3 Pride fights. He was a pretty successful K-1 fighter. Tough as hell and nasty. He had some type of feud with Mirko that I never fully uncovered. The guy would cheat or kill given the oppurtunity. If you notice in the highlight after he had repeatedly illegally elbowed Kerr, once the tables were turned and Kerr spiked him, he faked injury. He was entertaining and an absolute animal, but a POS. I've got a few K-1 box sets and probably 7-8 fights of his on there. Even though he was such a POS, he was entertaining.
Here's the feud with Mirko explained by the trustworthy Branko as well as a Pride work allegation ( full interview -
http://www.mat-magazine.com/mat/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2295&Itemid=20 )
How many fights did you have in PRIDE?
I had a four fight contract with PRIDE. First fight was in 1999. on PRIDE 1 vs. Ralph White whom I have KOd in first round. One can find incorrect information on the web that I have lost by verbal submission. In the second fight, the opponent was Mark Kerr from whom I have lost by disqualification because of the rope holding and elbow strikes to the head.
In the third worked fight, I have got an offer from $250,000 to lose against Maurice Smith, and in return was promised a fight against Rickson Gracie, which was my wish. With the worked fight, they wanted to humiliate the K-1.
The fourth fight was supposed to be against the Gracie, but Ken Imai with Orsat Zovko and Mirko Filipović had organized his famous interview, which we will talk about a bit later, so the fight was cancelled.
So how did the fight against Smith go?
I lost.
Whom do you see as a successor in the ring?
The Japanese are frequently calling me and asking when will I send them a successor. I have presented Mirko to them in 1996 on K-1 as a potential even though he didn’t have a single professional match. On my word Mirko had a fight in Japan as my successor, and he paid that back to me in a very ugly way.
He gave to the Japanese papers an interview in which he stated a number of lies. That I have organized an attack on his coach at the time, offered him a fight till death in the cage, that I was arrested because of the crime involvement, which is all lies. He has trashed me in front of the Japanese audience and business partners. All that took place in March 2000, right after the elections and the government shift in Croatia. That’s when the attacks on me begin.
You are often mentioned in media, but not in the sports context.
They are talking about me non stop. First it was that guy Čabo, and then Špika and then Šafranić, Čelan from Karate association. They would all like to be bigger than me. And I became the champion of the world when they didn’t even know where America is. There is some journalists that I didn’t want to pay the "racket" to write about me so they have ganged up with you know whom and are talking trash about me all over the place. I have been a successful athlete for a number of years. None of them who are attacking me today were heard of until they came to me. Everyone in Croatia who rises in whatever segment is right away under attack.
Mirko left Tigar gym on his own will?
I sent Mirko on his way because he was doing things that were not allowed, and were not in accordance with the ethics and the morale of the combat sports.
What were those things?
He knows them well. Many fighters went through my club. I have my own rules and laws that everyone has to obey. Ask the world class fighters what is the relationship of them and their coach, with what respect they treat their coach. Harsh and ruthless discipline, but this sport demands that. I am trying to maintain that relationship in my club as well, but there are a few of those that can withstand that.