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Mirko Cro Cop On USADA Suspension: ‘I Did Nothing Wrong’

Shortly after admitting to the use of growth hormone this past November, Mirko Cro Cop was slapped with a two-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and the heavyweight legend is not happy with the agency’s decision. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour yesterday (August 8, 2016), courtesy

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During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour yesterday (August 8, 2016), courtesy of MMA Fighting, Cro Cop does not think it is fair that he gets the same suspension as those who actually tested positive for banned substances:

“The whole thing that happened with USADA, it just isn’t supposed to happen,” Cro Cop said. “It just isn’t supposed to happen. I could be warned. I could be, at the end of the day, suspended a few months.

Six months, whatever. But when your test comes completely negative and you suspend that person for two years, the same sentence like some other fighters who was caught after the fight, so they did the fight under doping, under prohibited substances that was found in their body.

And they get the same suspension? That isn’t justice.”

Although Cro Cop’s test results came back negative, USADA deemed the Croatian’s admission enough to put him on the shelf for two years, the same time frame that looms over former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar amongst his recent USADA troubles post-UFC 200.

The Pride FC veteran does not believe it is fair that he would receive the same amount of time suspended as Lesnar, who was able to fight at UFC 200, despite not testing positive for any banned substances:

“They were caught after the fight,” Cro Cop said. “So they put the money in their pocket, they fought, they earned the money and they get the same sentence like I did.

It’s not fair. But let’s not talk about it anymore. I just had to mention it. From my point of view, that is not justice.”

Shortly after his suspension, however, Cro Cop revealed that USADA offered to reduce his suspension if he helped reveal other fighters who used performance enhancing drugs, something the former K-1 champion says is ‘below every level’:

“Offering a fighter that the suspension will be reduced if I snitched on someone, it is below every level,” Cro Cop said. “That’s how I see it. If I’m guilty punish me, but don’t come with that kind of offer.

And if you punish me for being completely negative, which means i didn’t use any prohibited substance, you cannot give me the same punish [as others].

I did nothing wrong” Cro Cop said. “At the end of the day, who cares? It’s behind me. What happened happened. It’s behind me now.”

Cro Cop has since been released from the UFC, and will not be able to compete for the company until 2017. He is currently signed with Rizin Fighting Federation, and will compete in an openweight grand prix tournament in September.

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Report: Fedor vs. Cro Cop Rematch Happening In September

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For two of the most well-known veterans in mixed martial arts, Fedor Emelianenko and Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic, it’s been a long journey fraught with staggering highs and deep lows. Fedor started his career as an unknown Russian mainly fighting on Japanese soil. His only loss up until 2010 was a TKO due to a cut, a loss that he’d avenged by demolishing Kohsaka in 2005. Leading in to his first real loss as a professional to Fabricio Werdm in 2010, ‘The Last Emperor’ touted an unmatched 31–1 (1) record.

The consensus opinion on Fedor at the time was he was the greatest of all time, the most dominant fighter of his era and king of the heavyweights. It came as a huge shock when Werdum submitted Emelianenko in the first round of their Strikeforce battle, and the following losses to Dan Henderson and Bigfoot Silva sent Fedor back to Russia and somewhat lower calibre opponents. Three straight wins over Jeff Monson, Pedro Rizzo and Satoshi Ishii saw ‘The Last Emperor’ call it quits in 2012.

Arguably one of the greatest kickboxers to ever live and the most feared pure striker from the Pride FC era, Mirko Cro Cop shared an eventful rivalry with Fedor. Knocking out his younger brother Alexander, Cro Cop set up a fight of the century with Emelianenko at Pride Conflict 2005. Fedor would win in one of the most exciting fights the promotion ever put on, and Cro Cop would go on to experience a serious drop in form following his 2007 signing to the UFC.

A number of hard losses would see Cro Cop announce is retirement from MMA in 2011, only to return to kickboxing and win the 2012 K-1 world GP. A 2015 return to the UFC was short-lived, as Cro Cop avenged his loss to Gabriel Gonzaga with a thrilling TKO in Poland, only to become embroiled in a strange situation with USADA. Now both men are once again back in action, and are reportedly on a collision course for September.

Fedor’s recent shambles of a fight against Fabio Malonado and victory over the biggest can possible Jideep Singh came as huge disappointments to his fans. He is now heavily rumoured to be fighting Mirko Cro Cop at Rizin FF this coming September 25. As per Cro Cop’s Facebook page:

Rizin FF recently announced their 16-man tournament for later this year, Mirko Cro Cop was granted a by for the first round, automatically advancing to the quarter finals. The openweight tourney will also feature former Pride FC champion Wanderlei Silva.

Worth noting is that this will be the first opponent of any real calibre that Emelianenko has faced since 2011. It seems that the rumours of Fedor signing to the UFC are once again just that. Any interest?

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Cro Cop Posts New Rizin Poster That Has Fans Speculating About Potential Fedor Rematch

While there have been no official reports that would suggest it directly, a new promotional poster for the upcoming September 25th Rizin FF event has many speculating about the possibility of a rematch between two legendary MMA heavyweights.

On Thursday afternoon, MMA legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic took to social media, where he posted the photo of the new Rizin FF promotional poster for their 9/25 event that features himself and fellow legendary MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

It should be noted, however, that the 9/25 event features the beginning of the promotion’s innagural “Grand Prix” event, which is a tournament that is expected to feature participation from the likes of Wanderlei Silva, as well as the aforementioned Fedor and Cro Cop.

In fact, Rizin FF officials have also expressed desire in obtaining the services of another familiar face from PRIDE’s past, the promotion responsible for some of the best “Grand Prix” tournament events in history, as former PRIDE executive Nobuyuki Sakikibara has offered an invitation to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson to compete in the tourney.

Rizin FF’s Open Weight Grand Prix tournament kicks off with their 9/25 event. Other fighters included in the tournament will be former PRIDE heavyweight star Kazuyuki Fujita and sumo champion Kaido Hoovelson. Four of the 16 fighters who will compete in the tournament will be receiving an automatic bye to the quarterfinals, which is scheduled to take place as part of the December 29 event. The tournament is scheduled to wrap-up at the big year-end New Year’s Eve event, a national tradition in Japan, on December 31.

Non-tournament matches scheduled for the opening round show on September 25 includes Daron Cruickshank vs. Andy Souwer, as well as women’s fights with Gabi Garcia and Kanako Murata fighting different opponents in individual bouts.

Cro Cop: USADA Offered Me Protection If I Snitched

Shortly after retiring following being slapped with a two-year suspension from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Mirko Cro Cop was reportedly offered protection from his two-year ban if he would ‘snitch on another fighter’. Ina Ferencic took to Twitter to break the story, stating Cro Cop revealed the news

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Ina Ferencic took to Twitter to break the story, stating Cro Cop revealed the news on Croatian RTL video interview:

Cro Cop: "They offered me to eliminate my suspension if I snitch on another fighter" @NewYorkRic @SBNLukeThomas @marc_raimondi @arielhelwani

— Ina Ferencic (@InaFem) July 21, 2016

Cro Cop (31-11-2(1)) was previously scheduled to face Anthony Hamilton at UFC Fight Night 79 last November, but was then flagged by USADA for the use of growth hormones to help nurse his injured shoulder.

The Croatian is currently set to make an in-cage return at the Rizin Heavyweight Tournament in Japan beginning in September. Cro Cop has been given a first round by for the tournament and will be bracketed into the quarterfinals of the trials in December.

We’ll keep you updated as more becomes available…

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Six Biggest USADA Busts In The UFC So Far

Attempting to rid the sport of performance-enhancing-drugs (PEDs), the UFC signed a deal with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) last summer to implement a new and stricter drug testing program. When the partnership was first announced, now former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta famously stated that “it’s going to get a lot worse before it

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In fact, we’ve seen two of the sport’s biggest stars notified of potential anti-doping violations in just the last few weeks alone. With that being said, it’s interesting to take a look back at USADA’s short history working with the UFC.

Whether it be the most shocking or the most impactful, let’s take a look at the six biggest busts by USADA in the UFC:

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Wanderlei Silva & Mirko Cro Cop Return In Latest Rizin Event

Rizin is set to make a big return with a 16-man heavyweight Grand Prix tournament, that kicks off on September 25th from Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena. Pride legends Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop will be competing as well, however, the pair will be given first round byes and will instead make

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Rizin is set to make a big return with a 16-man heavyweight Grand Prix tournament, that kicks off on September 25th from Saitama, Japan at the Saitama Super Arena.

Pride legends Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop will be competing as well, however, the pair will be given first round byes and will instead make their tournament debuts at the December 29th quarterfinals.

Silva (35-12-1) last saw action inside a cage when he took on Brian Stann at UFC on Fuel TV 8, knocking out Stann in the second round of their contest in 2013.

Following the contest Silva was embroiled in a feud with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) after refusing to undergo a random drug test. NSAC handed Silva a lifetime ban, however, it was later reduced to three years and is set to expire in May.

Silva signed a multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA in March and will be eligible to begin competing for the organization when his NSAC suspension is lifted on May 25, 2017.

Cro Cop (31-11-2(1)) was previously scheduled to face Anthony Hamilton at UFC Fight Night 79 last November, but pulled out after admitting to the use of human growth hormones to help his injured shoulder. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) would later announce a two-year suspension for Cro Cop amongst his retirement.

In a recent press conference in Tokyo to promote the upcoming Rizin heavyweight tournament,courtesy of MMA Fighting, the Croatian had this to say:

“I was chasing Pokemon’s and somehow ended up in Japan,” said Cro Cop. “I kept chasing them and bumped into Sakakibara-san in Roppongi. He bought me a suit and shoes, and that is why I sit here right now.”

The Rizin Heavyweight Tournament will air live on the Fuji Network from the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, beginning on September 25, 2016.

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