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Famed heavyweight striker Mirko Filipovic (25-7-2) is reportedly considering a return to the Octagon to face fellow MMA transplant Ben Rothwell (30-7) at UFC 110, tentatively scheduled for the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 21 according to Sherdog.com.

“Cro Cop” threw in the towel in his submission (verbal) loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort” from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 19. He was beaten to the punch, and pretty much beat up, in what essentially turned out to be a striking match for two-plus rounds.

The Croatian waved off the Brazilian in the third after eating a brutal knee to the face that wiped out his vision. It marked his third loss inside the Octagon in five attempts — a far cry from the world beater who was scalping his opponents just three years ago under the Pride banner. In fact, he has not defeated a top-level fighter since he made Josh Barnett quit at “Final Conflict Absolute,” which earned him the Pride FC 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix Championship.

According to Filipovic, he’s battled depression and other psychiatric issues since the September loss and spoke of his inability to break a “mental block” that’s prevented him from returning to his old self.

It’s not unreasonable to think a knockout win over Rothwell could do more in one night than two years of ongoing therapy.

Like the Croat, “Big” Ben would like to erase the memories of his last fight. The former International Fight League (IFL) standout contested the timing of his TKO stoppage loss against Cain Velasquez in the co-main event at UFC 104: “Machida vs. Shogun” back on Oct. 24.

The Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) product was on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown that consisted of Velasquez taking him down, controlling him on the ground and punching him in the face en route to a second round loss. Rothwell contends that he was finally back to his feet and ready to turn things around until referee Steve Mazzagatti robbed him of his chance to pull off what would have been nothing short of a miraculous comeback.

He could conceivably get right back into the thick of things if he’s able to retire Cro Cop — or he may be updating his resume if Filipovic prevails.

UFC 110 is expected to feature International superstars Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva and Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama in a hard-hitting 185-pound brawl that pits sexy vs. psycho.

Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on this still-developing fight card.

MMA Mania Ben Rothwell, MMA Mania, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, UFC Fight Night 11

Props: CageReport.net

Quoteworthy:

“So what, (Velasquez) was punching me, big deal, isn’t that what happens in a fight? The reality of the situation is that I was using the cage to get to my feet and which I basically did and then for some reason Steve [Mazzagatti] decides to step in. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it. I mean if the punches had some force behind them I could understand it but those were like soft jabs that didn’t hurt at all, it was like he was just hitting me to stay busy rather than damage me. That’s is why I wasn’t covering up – the punches didn’t hurt and definitely weren’t doing any damage, at least not enough to slow me down, but then he [Steve Mazzagatti] calls the fight? Please, my grandmother hits harder that that. Maybe it looked bad to those at home and to those who have never trained but I had worked back into standing position and was ready to fire back some of my own, so how bad could the punches have really been? Come on, if you would have seen me the next day you’d have hardly thought I was in a fight – I woke up the next day with barely a scratch on my face. Look at some fights I have had in my career, I’ve been in plenty of worse positions and managed to turn the fight around and win. You know Shogun wasn’t the only one robbed that night. So what If I lost the first round by a small margin, all that meant is there were still two rounds up for grabs, my shoulders were just loosening up at the beginning of the second round – the real fight was just getting started. Look, I don’t want to make this sound like I’m taking anything away from Cain, he’s a great fighter, probably one of the best in the heavy weight division at the moment. I just feel like I’ve been working my entire career to get this shot in the UFC, only to have it taken away from me by an incompetent referee. Losing is one thing but to have such a big opportunity taken from you? I’m disgusted.”

Former International Fight League (IFL) heavyweight standout “Big” Ben Rothwell talks about the timing of his TKO stoppage against Cain Velasquez in the co-main event at UFC 104: “Machida vs. Shogun” back on Oct. 24. The Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) product was on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown that consisted of Velasquez taking him down, controlling him on the ground and punching him in the face en route to a second round loss. Rothwell contends that he was finally back to his feet and ready to turn things around until referee Steve Mazzagatti robbed him of his chance to pull off what would have been nothing short of a miraculous comeback. Was Rothwell robbed ala Shogun? Or did all those punches to the head erase the memory of what actually transpired during the fight? Opinions please.

MMA Mania Ben Rothwell, Cain Velasquez, MMA Mania, UFC 104

Props: Pro MMA Radio

Quoteworthy:

“He’s a normal person, just like me. Whatever he’s willing to do to me, you know, I’m willing to do the same to him. [I plan on] controlling him on the feet, making openings, taking him down. Just beating him up real bad, and picking my shots and really exploding on him; Letting him know that there is nothing that he can do to me.”

UFC heavyweight contender Cain Velasquez talks about his upcoming fight with former IFL champion Ben Rothwell at UFC 104 from the Staples Center this Saturday, Oct. 24. Velasquez is coming off of a unanimous decision victory over Cheick Kongo at UFC 99 in Cologne, Germany. However, the victory was a disappointment to Velasquez, who took more punishment than he and his coaches had in mind. The fight with Rothwell will be his seventh professional fight. Can the AKA standout push his record to 7-0? Or will he face “Big” problems on Saturday night?

MMA Mania Ben Rothwell, Cain Velasquez, MMA Mania, UFC 104, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Just days before his UFC 104 bout against fellow heavyweight contender “Big” Ben Rothwell, blue-chip prospect Cain Velasquez will join us tonight at 9 p.m. ET on MMAmania.com’s exclusive presentation of Pro MMA Radio.

Also on tap for the big brouhaha on October 24 is Antoni Hardonk, who stops by the show to dish the dirt on everything from his loss to Cheick Kongo to not believing the “Hype” of upcoming opponent Pat Barry.

Hosted by Larry Pepe, Pro MMA Radio is professional, guest-driven program that features some of mixed martial arts biggest names.

If you’re looking for a radio show that revolves around a couple of MMA fans ranting and raving about everything that’s already been covered ad nauseam, then Pro MMA Radio probably isn’t for you.

However, if you want to hear from actual fighters and industry insiders answering questions that are relevant to the current MMA scene, tune in every Monday night at 9 p.m. ET for our exclusive live feed.

See you tonight at 9 p.m. ET!

MMA Mania Antoni Hardonk, Ben Rothwell, Cain Velasquez, MMA Mania, Pro MMA Radio, UFC 104

MMA Mania Ben Rothwell, Cain Velasquez, MMA Mania, UFC 104, UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

MMA Mania Ben Rothwell, Cain Velasquez, MMA Mania, UFC 104, UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Check out what Velasquez has to say after the jump.

MMA Mania Ben Rothwell, Cain Velasquez, MMA Mania, UFC 104, UFC Videos, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Props: SLAM!Sports.com

Quoteworthy:

“I’m ecstatic to be here finally … I didn’t want to be one of those guys who was just happy to get into the UFC. You know, you see a lot of these guys that come and go, and that just isn’t me. My objective all along has been to come into the UFC as a somebody … and then finish my career there. The only way you can finish your career there is if you win fights and make a name for yourself. Obviously I’ve done something right because they’ve put me on the poster and made me (a part of) the co-main event…. I feel great about the fight … I want to be fighting with the guys that are names in the UFC. I want to be a name in the UFC, as well. That’s the only way — you’ve got to be in there fighting the guys that people know. So I’m very excited for the fight.”

Former International Fight League (IFL) heavyweight standout “Big” Ben Rothwell talks about what it means to him to make his promotional debut against Cain Velasquez in the co main event at UFC 104: “Machida vs. Shogun” on Oct. 24. The Miletich Fighting Systems (MFS) product has 36 professional fights in a career that dates back to 2001. He has just one loss in his last 15 fights, which was courtesy of an Andrei Arlovski knockout at Affliction: “Banned” in July 2008. He has certainly paid his dues and taken the long road to the Octagon. Does he have what it takes to compete against the big dogs or will Velasquez send him a rude message that he doesn’t belong in the suddenly talent-rich division?

MMA Mania Ben Rothwell, MMA Mania, UFC 104