When the Best meet together

Mirko Cro Cop VS Le Banner.



Becoming a champion

Filipović re-entered the PRIDE ring, competing in PRIDE's 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix on May 5, 2006. His first match at the PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute event was against Ikuhisa Minowa, the lighter but highly acclaimed professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. "Cro Cop" won the fight by TKO in 1:10 of the fight. On July 1, 2006 at PRIDE Critical Countdown Absolute, Filipović defeated 1992 Olympic judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida to move on to the semi-finals.

On September 10, 2006, Filipović won the Open-Weight Grand Prix at PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute. In the semi-finals, Filipović knocked out then-PRIDE middleweight champion Wanderlei Silva with his trademark left high kick. In the final match, "Cro Cop" won a third victory over Josh Barnett, who submitted after sustaining an eye injury. With these two victories, Filipović became PRIDE's Open-Weight Grand Prix champion, the first widely recognized championship belt he has ever won. In a post-fight interview Filipović stated if he had not won the tournament, it would have been his last night fighting. It was also his birthday.