Cro Cop gets PED tested ahead of Bellator debut

Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic was suspended for two years by USADA, with the period of ineligibility beginning on November 9, 2015, and running to November 8, 2017. The fighter could have received four years, but received the lesser penalty because he volunteered to reps that he had been prescribed HGH by an MD in his home nation of Croatia to treat an injury. And the test ended up being clean.

The UFC then released Cro Cop from his contract. However, because USADA suspensions toll if the athlete does not remain in the testing pool during the suspension, although the suspension would have ended last year, Filipovic can’t fight in the UFC. However, he has been fighting outside North America since the suspension, and doing well.

Now Filipovic has signed with Bellator MMA. His first fight is a rematch vs. Roy Nelson, on May 25, 2018, at Bellator 200 in London, England. Bellator is regulated overseas by Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation director Mike Mazzulli, who also serves as the president of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports.

Some have questioned why Cro Cop is fighting in Bellator if he can’t fight in the UFC. Last month Mazzulli explained to Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting that USADA is not a government commission, it’s a not-for-profit corporation, working for a for-profit corporation. Mazzulli said if Cro Cop had been suspended by a member commission of the ABC, then he wouldn’t be fighting for Bellator; while USADA suspensions are added the official database, they are not the same as official government suspensions.

It’s a case-by-case basis, explained Mazzulli. The USADA suspensions are placed on the MMA registry. … It’s a great informational tool to make an educated decision. At the end of the day, the more information we have, the better.

If any other commission in the ABC — in the United States — if they had him suspended, I would not have him fight. I highly doubt Bellator would allow him to fight.

There is a widespread belief that Bellator fighters are not subject to out of competition testing, but that is not the case. Fighters tested to date include Roy Nelson, Gegard Mousasi, Phil Davis, and David Rickels. And now you can add Cro Cop to the list.