Commission: Cro Cop's USADA ban may not affect Bellator 200 booking
Mirko Cro Cop's Bellator debut may not be impeded by a suspension he never really served.
The heavyweight legend was the first fighter to be banned under the UFC's anti-doping partnership with the USADA in late 2015, the violation netting him a two-year suspension and his walking papers - in addition to prompting him to retire. But Cro Cop eventually took his talents to Japan's Rizin FF in 2016, capping the year by winning its openweight grand prix before returning from yet another retirement to stop Tsuyoshi Kohsaka on New Year's Eve.
Despite never actually serving his USADA-sanctioned penance, it appears Cro Cop will face Roy Nelson at Bellator 200 on May 25 in London without incident. As Mike Mazzulli - president of the Association of Boxing Commissions and the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation (Bellator 200's sanctioning body) - told MMAjunkie's Ben Fowlkes on Tuesday, Cro Cop has been contacted and will be subject to immediate drug screenings as he's currently in the process of obtaining a license to compete.
"Here at Mohegan, the minute a medical is provided to me, they’re considered to be in the process of being licensed, so I have the authority to test them," Mazzulli said. "I’ve already reached out to (Cro Cop) and informed him that I want a test. I’m researching it right now."
Athletic commissions usually honor USADA-sanctioned bans, and although Cro Cop's case isn't quite that simple, Mazzulli stated he'll likely consider the Croatian's penance served. That said, he still aims to put him through "out-of-competition, in-competition, and post-competition" screenings.
"The last thing I want to do is adversely affect a guy’s career," Mazzulli said. "There’s only so many years they have the ability to earn. In my opinion, and in the Mohegan Tribe’s opinion, 2015 was three years ago, so it’s time to allow him to fight and make a living."
Should he make it to Wembley Arena, Cro Cop will look to avenge a third-round TKO he suffered at Nelson's hands back in October 2011 at UFC 137.