Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic was suspended for two years by USADA, after the fighter volunteered to reps that he had been prescribed HGH by an MD in his home nation of Croatia to treat an injury. Despite the fact that the test ende up being clean, USADA suspended the fighter for two years.

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 already, Filipovic couldn’t fight in the UFC. Filipovic 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. During an interview with Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting, Mazzulli explained 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 of the ABC, then he wouldn’t be fighting for Bellator. So while USADA suspensions are added the official database, they are not the same as official government suspensions.

It’s a case-by-case basis, Mazzulli explained. 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.

I always look out for the best interests of the fighters. Cro Cop has not fought in the United States for a while. He was suspended for two years. I’m 110-percent positive that 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.

Further, Bellator fighters are subject to out of competition testing. Thus far Roy Nelson, Gegard Mousasi, Phil Davis, and David Rickels have all been tested, and were clean. And Cro Cop is on the list.