(Another one of Mirko’s zany practical jokes?)

Yesterday’s Dream.6 press conference got off to a fun start after news that Mighty Mo Siliga has had to pull out of his bout with Sergei Kharitonov with an injury suffered in training. That’s when Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic stepped up to offer his services, despite the fact that he’s also scheduled to take on Alistair Oveerem on the same night. Was this just another attempt to get under Oveerem’s skin in their ongoing war of words, or could it be that Cro Cop is trying to make up for lost time?

At least it sounds like a sincere offer:

“Well I’ve just heard that Mighty Mo is not going to fight since he is injured,” said a serious Filipovic. “We are all professional fighters. I’m ready to jump in, in his place. If Dream agrees, I’m ready to fight two fights tomorrow. It doesn’t mean that I underestimate Alistair, I would like to fight him first –- the fourth fight against him and the eleventh fight against Sergei. Sergei definitely trained hard for this and I’m sure he doesn’t want to go home without a fight.”

Oveerem felt a little slighted by the offer, as you might imagine, telling reporters, “I think after I fight Mirko, he will never fight again.”

Thankfully, Sergei Kharitonov stepped in to talk some sense:

“I respect both Mirko and Alistair. I’m sure it’s a big decision fighting twice a day. I am appreciative of Mirko, yet I would like to fight you in another time. “

Blessed are the peacemakers, Sergei. Just to take the situation from a little weird to truly bizarre, Yoshihiro Akiyama also offered to fight Kharitonov in addition to his fight with Masanori Toonoka on the same night.

What the hell? Do these people know something about Kharitonov that the rest of us don’t, or do they just need the extra money that badly?

Fortunately, Dream brought in Jimmy “The Titan” Ambriz — who holds notable losses to the likes of Josh Barnett, Justin Eilers, and Dan Christison — as a late replacement. Should be a fun night.