LAS VEGAS - Well, there's no doubt that the American public loves Mirko "Cro Cop" Filopovic.

At UFC 67 here at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on February 3, the crowd cheered loudly when the "Croatian Sensation" was introduced, they cheered every time he blasted Eddie Sanchez with a thunderous kick or power-packed punch and they cheered wildly when he defeated Sanchez.

Of course, there's no doubt that the UFC loves Filopovic too or they would not have lured him away from the Pride Fighting Championship, but UFC prez Dana White, in no uncertain terms, also expressed frustration with Cro Cop, who chose not to attend the pre-fight or post-fight press conferences.

"I'm with ya," said White, when asked if Filopovic should be at the press conference. "We [Filopovic] butted heads [over this], and it's going to be interesting to see who wins this fight. [But I can tell you], that I am grumpier than other promoters. Some guys are used to [doing things a] certain way, and this is going to be interesting."

When asked if he thought Filopovic's decisions not to attend the press conferences will hurt his popularity, White said no.

"I think fans will love him either way," said White. "[However], as a promoter, it is seriously f***ing frustrating."

That was not the only source of frustration.

"What's the deal with Lutter not making weight?" said White. "I don't know. You'll have to ask him."

While the night was scheduled to be middleweight champ Anderson Silva's first title defense, challenger Travis Lutter did not make weight, turning their bout into a non-title fight. After a competitive first round, Silva, using a nasty triangle choke, defeated Lutter in Round 2.

And that's only part of the story. Look for the complete review, as well as Jaimee Itagaki's pictorial, Freeze Frame, in the May issue of Ultimate Grappling magazine.

THE RESULTS
The Fighters: Diego Saraiva vs. Dustin Hazelett
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Hazelett
How/When: Unanimous Decision

The Fighters: "The Alaskan Assassin" Sam Hoger (6-3) and Lyoto Machida (9-0)
Division: Light Heavyweight
The Winner: Machida
How/When: Unanimous Decision

The Fighters: Frank "The Answer" Edgar (6-0) and Tyson Griffin (8-1)
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Edgar
How/When: Unanimous Decision

The Fighters: Terry Martin  (17-2) vs. Jorge Rivera (14-6)
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Martin
How/When: KO at 14 seconds of Round 1

MAIN CARD
The Fighters: Patrick The Predator Cote (10-4) vs. Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith (12-3)
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Cote
How/When: Unanimous Decision

The Fighters: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (26-6) vs. Marvin "The Beast" Eastman (13-7-1)
Division: Light heavyweight
The Winner: Jackson
How/When: TKO in Round 1

The Fighters: John "The Hurricane" Halverson (13-5) and Roger "El Matador" Huerta
Division: Lightweight
The Winner: Huerta
How/When: KO at 19 seconds of Round 1

The Fighters: Eddie "The Maniac Hispanic" Sanchez (8-1) vs. Mirko Cro Cop Filopovic (22-4-2)
Division: Heavyweight
The Winner: Cro Cop
How/When: TKO at 4:33 of Round 1

The Fighters: Travis "The Serial Killer" Lutter (12-4) and Anderson "The Spider" Silva (18-4)
Division: Middleweight
The Winner: Silva
How/When: Triangle choke at 2:11 of Round 2