Issue 041
September 2008
Some fans call Croatian striker Zelg Galesic (9-3-0) ‘Little Mirko’ after friend and training partner Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic. Though he takes the nickname as a compliment (who wouldn’t?), it doesn’t really do him justice – after all, the 29-year-old has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s much more than just a middleweight Cro Cop clone.
A native of Pula, Croatia, and current resident of Cheltenham, England, Galesic is the veteran of some 300 martial arts competitions – ranging from ITF Tae Kwon Do to Muay Thai, but it wasn’t until 2003, that he found his true calling in life: MMA. “I moved into MMA as I saw it as the future of professional fighting,” says Galesic. “I have enjoyed it ever since.”
It took less than three years for the Trojan Free Fighters representative to become a top European prospect. In 2006, Galesic entered the spotlight, following a dominating performance over British legend Mark ‘The Wizard’ Weir (18-15-0). The bout not only solidified Galesic’s place as a top fighter on the European circuit, but it also gave him the Cage Rage British middleweight title.
Despite massive success in the UK, Galesic quickly set his eyes on a bigger goal – to be regarded as one of the world’s best middleweights. And so, with an offer from Pride on the table, the Croatian began his international career in the Land of the Rising Sun. “It is always an honour fighting in front of Japanese fans,” says the Pride, K-1 HERO’s and DREAM veteran.
“As a fighter, it is one of the greatest experiences I could have.
I love fighting and the challenges that come with it. Those 20 seconds you get after winning a fight is worth all the months of
hard training.” It was in Japan that Galesic truly shook off the ‘Little Mirko’ label and began to shine as his own man. Fans were quick to nickname him ‘Benkei’, after a legendary Japanese warrior-monk who apparently loved to fight.
As one of the final four in the DREAM middleweight Grand Prix, Galesic is now closer than ever to attaining his goal. But with a murderer’s row of potential opponents ahead of him, consisting of Melvin Manhoef, Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza, winning the DREAM middleweight title will undoubtedly be Galesic’s greatest challenge to date.
“The DREAM middleweight division is the toughest in the world, with the exception of a few names of course,” says Galesic. “There are a lot of tough opponents, which means you can move well up the rankings.”
With his only losses coming to distinguished grapplers, one would think that Jacare is a particularly big threat to the Croatian striker. Surprisingly, none of the names seem to shake Galesic – and neither does the fact that he could be facing two of them in one night. “It is great because I just need to cut weight once,” says Galesic. “And there is a special offer for just that night – two belts [middleweight and Grand Prix belt] for the price of one!”
Sizing up the competition
Zelg gives his thoughts on his prospective opponents in the upcoming Grand Prix finals, to take place on 23 September in Japan.
Melvin Manhoef
“He is a strong striker with explosive power in his hands and feet. I need to play a safe technical game with him, as he hits like a bull and has the ability to finish the fight every time he lands a shot.”
Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza
“He is one of the best grapplers in the world, and at the same time, has a perfect ground game for MMA (as he always likes to stay on top of you). It is no secret that I need to avoid the ground here, and find the shortest route to his chin!”
Gegard Mousasi
“He is definitely the most well-rounded fighter of the finalists. He can be dangerous in any aspect of the fight. A good old-fashion brawl might do the business!”
