Pride legend and former UFC fighter Cro Cop is heading back to Japan! A bout between Pride legend Mirko Cro Cop Filipovi and Olympic Judo gold medal winner Satoshi Ishii has been announced for Augusts Inoki Genome Fight 2 in Japan. The heavyweight clash takes place August 23rd in Tokyo. Cro Cop is 1-1 since leaving the UFC and briefly retiring from competition in MMA, a period that saw him heading back to the kickboxing realm. There, he would enter and later win the K-1 2012 Grand Prix. In the midst of the tournament (which spans several months), Filipovi returned to the MMA world and beat the unknown Shinichi Suzukawa in 2012, before losing to Oleksiy Oliynyk the following year (Oliynyk earned himself a UFC contract after that fight). The legendary fighter struggled in his UFC appearances, and would later openly admit that he was unhappy with how he performed in the promotion, after debuting with high expectations following his Pride days. Retiring after suffering a TKO defeat by Roy "Big Country" Nelson, he was grateful to the fans and company, stating that he had been treated "like a king" during his UFC run. The match with Ishii marks his most significant competition since leaving the UFC, as Ishii has won eight straight fights, defeating names such as Jeff Monson, Phil De Fries, Tim Sylvia and others since a loss to Fedor Emelianenko in 2011. The outcome of the bout is crucial. A loss for Cro Cop, and it may be the last time we see him in an MMA match. A win for Ishii, on the other hand, adds another notable name to his list of victims. Ishii is the best heavyweight in Japan at the moment, and has quietly built up his streak of wins over solid ex-UFC fighters. Even if they're a little past their prime in some cases, there's a case to be made for the UFC to bring Ishii in, especially with future events planned in the country. The question may come down to money; early in his career Ishii had a chance to sign with the UFC, but he's a big draw in his home nation, and may see better money there by continuing to be a big fish in a relatively smaller pond.