Cro Cop In Talks With UFC For 2009 Return?

Mirko Cro Cop has been dropping several hints in recent interviews in the Croatian press that he is planning a major move in 2009.

These rumors first appeared when Mirko made a blog post on MMA ID stating that his NYE fight would mark a new chapter in his career: "This fight I'll end one chapter and start another. I'll post more information about my plans after the show. And no, I'm not retiring, thanks for asking!"

When asked about his plans for 2009 at Zagreb airport earlier today he remained vague: “I don’t know. I’ll have to wait and see. I cant say anything right now. I’m just focused on this fight and we’ll see what happens after that.”

Now according to this post Dana White appeared on the Best Damn Sports show and stated that Cro Cop could return to the UFC 2009. (Note: I haven't seen the show and hence don't know how accurate this guys recollection is. If anyone can confirm this quote please let me know)

"We haven't really discussed that yet. We have a lot of shit we are doing, and that event isn't on our heads. We could see the return of Cro Cop on the show, who knows. If he wins, he will definitely be welcomed back into the UFC."

It looks like his move very much depends on his fight with Hong Man Choi. If the Croatian returns to winning form a return to the UFC looks possible. What makes this rumor even more plausible is the fact that Cro Cop still trains in a cage rather than a ring. This could mean two things. One he is too cheap to remove the cage and install another ring or B he still plans to return to the UFC as he promised when he left the organization one year ago. Bringing Cro Cop back at this time would make a lot of sense considering the UFC's expansion into mainland Europe.