BY JAMES BRYDON
sportsnet.ca
INDIANAPOLIS -- Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic is emerging as the crowd favourite in the UFC 119 main event matchup Saturday against former heavyweight champion Frank Mir.
All fighters were on target Friday as the weigh-ins took place at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for the UFC’s first event in the state of Indiana.
Mir, who at 252 pounds will come in with a sizeable advantage over Filipovic (227), received a fairly noticeable smattering of boos when he entered the arena and when he was interviewed following the bouts.
Cro Cop, described by UFC announcer Joe Rogan as one of the most devastating stirkers ever to compete in the sport of MMA, was a late replacement for an injured Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and the crowd appeared to appreciate that.
- Mirko cheered, Mir booed
- All fighters make weight
- UFC expects sellout
"I feel good," Filipovic told Rogan. "I'm very excited to be here. Another fight."
The weigh-ins were well attended by fans, with between 1,500 and 2,000, and the UFC said Friday it has already sold close to 15,000 tickets for the event and with walk-up ticket sales, it expects to sell out the arena, which seats 18,000 for the NBA but will fit less than 16,000 for the UFC show.
The big attraction however was native son Chris Lytle, who brought the fans to a crescendo of cheers when he entered the stage. Lytle weighed in at 171, while counterpart Matt Serra, who was hit with only a modest serenade of boos, was 170 for their welterweight tilt, which is a rematch of The Ultimate Fighter 4 finale back in November 2006, which Serra won by split decision.
The two Canadians made weight without a problem. Winnipeg’s Joe Doerksen was at 186, as was his opponent C.B. Dollaway, while T.J. Grant of Cole Harbour, N.S., and Julio Paulino each weighed in at 170.
NOTES: Prior to the first fighter weighing in, the UFC introduced new Octagon girl Brittany Ward, who was the winner of the TransWorld SURF Model Search. She was joined by the two usually providing the eye candy in Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell.
