Sports fans love their conspiracies. By far the most famous deals with Michael Jordan's first retirement. Now MMA fans can join in with our own conspiracy theory!

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's sudden return and immediate departure from the UFC has left many fans with questions and desires to make sense of a strange situation. The perfect scenario for paranoid bloggers  intrepid writer to step in and weave complicated conspiracy theories speak unadulterated truth. (Sorry but I have been watching updates on Iran all afternoon so I am in a coup/revolutionary mindset.)

There are several events that could lead one to conclude that there is a certain level of deception or subterfuge occurring besides Mirko simply saying, "Alright I fought once in the UFC and have regained my mojo, now off to Dream."

Steve Cofield commented during his UFC 99 post fight show that Frank Trigg had told him that Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic would only fight once in the UFC and then go on to fight Alistair Overeem.  How did Frank Trigg know this? Was it a lucky prediction or was he privy to some inside information?

Triggs' comments breed two interesting questions. First, why did Trigg say Alistair Overeem? Second, if Trigg knew that Mirko was one-and-done then surely we can assume Dana White knew? Of course this all depends on Trigg having inside information as oppose to being a really good guesser.

With regards to the first question, if Trigg knew that Overeem was on the horizon does that mean that Strikeforce is preparing for Overeem vs. Filipovic on August 15th? Is Scott Coker somehow involved in Cro Cop running from the UFC? Is this a well orchestrated plan with international cooperation? I don't buy it but as Ariel Helwani points out, Coker does have a relationship with FEG the ownership group of Dream. 

The second question addresses what Dana White knew and when. Right now White is claiming that he has been hoodwinked. But if White's new employee new about Filipovic's imminent desertion surely he would be a good soldier and inform his boss (Also do we really believe that Dana White could be so easily fooled because if that were the case WKR would be credentialed). Why then did the UFC proceed with a fighter who had one foot out the door? Because UFC 99 needed more star power. Again Steve Cofield commented that UFC 99 was not a German card but rather an English, Scandinavian and Croat event. If UFC 99 doesn't have Cro Cop how many tickets do they sell then?

There is further questions that fit into this reasoning. Why did the UFC rush to announce Cro Cop's return especially considering Todd Duffee still thought he was fighting Al Turk at UFC 99. Once again, was it an attempt to boost ticket sales?

This leads us to another question. 

Why did it start as a one fight deal? The UFC could easily of arranged a two-fight deal (then Mirko would really be in breach of contract for signing with Dream)  and if Mirko had lost they could of cut him. It would of made no difference how long the deal was, three four, twenty fights, they could have cut him if they wanted to.

Dana White said it himself that he had never done a verbal one fight deal over the phone. Why then did Dana White break all precedent? Because they needed Cro Cop on that card. If they needed Cro Cop on that card than does that mean that expansion in Deutschland is not going well? 

There is one final fact which just doesn't make any sense. If I have read the reports right, then didn't Cro Cop already sign with Dream before he fought at UFC 99? If that was the case couldn't Dream have intervened and tried to stop the fight or couldn't the UFC have easily discovered t

If this conspiracy theory is true (which of course it isn't) then everyone is a winner. The UFC gets Cro Cop to boost ticket sales in Germany, Dream gets some free press, Dana White gets to call a Pride fighter a scumbag (always a plus for Dana) and Strikeforce gets publicity for a possible fight between Alistair and Mirko. 

Now the counter argument is the fact that the UFC has shown little to no desire to work with any other promotion. But that is not what this conspiracy is trying to suggest. Dana White, Cro Cop, Scott Coker and Dream didn't meet in a parking garage under alias like 'deep throat'. Rather that it fast became apparent that all parties had mutual interests that outweighed the potential disadvantages so they all turned a blind eye to one another. 

Has your head stopped spinning yet?