In his mid-2000s prime in in particular, the stone-faced Croatian possessed a blend of speed, power and aggression that, when coupled with his nearly impregnable takedown defense, made him the most feared striker in the sport and one of its biggest stars.
He returned to K-1, finally winning his first grand prix in 2012, and strung together 10 straight wins in MMA, though some of those achievements were marred by a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs late in his career.
This time it would not end in a draw, and while a trademark head kick sealed the deal, a vicious left hook and left body kick seconds before had set up the finishing blow.
For every lucha-masked who had no business being in a ring with him, he laid out a fellow knockout artist like or.
.
The final two rounds of the grand prix took place on Sept.