TORONTO — Veteran Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic is returning to the UFC after more than three years away to headline the circuit’s first-ever show in Poland.
The 40-year-old Croatian heavyweight will meet Gabriel (Napao) Gonzaga on April 11 at the Krakow Arena.
Polish light-heavyweight Jan Blachowicz takes on No. 10 Jimi (Poster Boy) Manuwa in the co-main event.
Gonzaga, an American-based Brazilian, knocked out Filipovic with a highlight-reel head kick the first time they met at UFC 70 in 2007 in Manchester, England.
Filipovic (30-11) has gone 3-1 since his last UFC fight, a loss to Roy (Big Country) Nelson at UFC 137 in October 2011. The former Pride star has a 4-6 record in the UFC.
The UFC also announced its first event in Scotland, scheduled for July 18 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. And there will be a June 20 show in Berlin at the O2 World.
In other UFC news, bantamweights Urijah (The California Kid) Faber and Raphael Assuncao will face off March 21 on a televised card in Rio de Janeiro. Welterweight Demian Maia faces unbeaten Ryan LaFlare in the co-main event.
Former lightweight champion Benson Henderson will replace the injured Bobby Green against Jorge Masvidal in the main event of an April 4 televised card in Fairfax, Va. Henderson is coming off a controversial loss by decision to Donald (Cowboy) Cerrone last Sunday in Boston.
