Bodog Beat

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filopovic will fight March 15 in Japan. (AP Images)

Croation super-striker Mirko "Cro Cop" Filopovic (22-6-2) finally knows who he'll be fighting, March 15 in Saitama, Japan.

On his blog at mma-id.com, Filopivic says he'll face Japanese wrestler Yoshihiro Nakao (6-1) for his first match in Dream, the new fighting organization founded by Fight Entertainment Group (FEG) to replace their K-1 Hero's event.

"A little over an hour ago I was contacted by Dream officials," he writes. "They informed me that my opponent on March 15 will be Yoshihiro Nakao from Japan. It was very important for me to fight as soon as possible and I'm happy that Dream was able to find the opponent for me."

This will be Filopovic's first match since leaving the UFC where he went 1-2, losing to both Cheick Kongo (11-4-1) and Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3-0).

Fans remember Nakao as the man who Heath Herring (28-13-0) knocked out during their pre-fight staredown in 2005, when the Japanese fighter kissed Herring on the lips. That match was declared a 'no contest'.

Nakao's only loss came at the hands of judo fighter Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-7-0). A veteran of both Pride and K-1, he holds wins over Don Frye (19-6-1) and Wesley "Cabbage" Correira (19-13-0).

Bet on MMA odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.

Buy Bodog Fight: St. Petersburg, The Complete Second Series on DVD in the Bodog Store.