Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic was the first contracted UFC fighter to be identified as having a potential violation of the organization’s anti-doping policy. Cro Cop announced his retirement from MMA due to a shoulder injury earlier this week prior to the revelation of the possible anti-doping violation.
Cro Cop was scheduled to fight Anthony Hamilton in Seoul, South Korea later this month at UFC Fight Night 79. He cited a shoulder injury as to the reason for him to withdraw from the fight and announce his retirement.
The UFC issued a statement on the matter Wednesday:
UFC announced today that a scheduled bout between Mirko Cro Cop and Anthony Hamilton in Seoul, South Korea has been canceled. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has notified both Mirko Cro Cop and UFC that he has been provisionally suspended at this time due to a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation.
USADA, the independent administrator of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case involving Cro Cop. Additional information will be provided at the appropriate time in the process.
Hamilton will be booked for a new bout on a card in the near future.
How does Cro Cop’s retirement work with the anti-doping policy? From the USADA policy:
If an athlete retires or ceases to be under contract with the UFC while USADA is conducting the results management process, USADA retains jurisdiction to complete its results management process. If an athlete retires or ceases to be under contract with the UFC before any results management process has begun, and USADA had results management authority over the athlete at the time the athlete committed an ADPV [anti-doping policy violation], USADA has authority to conduct results management in respect to that ADPV.
If Cro Cop wants back in the UFC, he is subject to this section of the policy:
5.7.2 If an Athlete retires from UFC competition while subject to a period of Ineligibility, the Athlete shall not resume competing in UFC Bouts or competitions approved or sanctioned by an Athletic Commission until the Athlete has given four months prior written notice (or notice equivalent to the period of Ineligibility remaining as of the date the Athlete retired, if that period was longer than four months) to UFC of his/her intent to resume competing and has made him/herself available for Testing for that notice period.
Payout Perspective:
If Cro Cop is truly retired I don’t believe there’s any recourse for the UFC although he is subject to penalty (see above). If he attempts a comeback at some point in the future, he will still be under scrutiny by the UFC. At that point, he may have to serve a suspension. Then again, the UFC need not take him back.
Cro Cop can appeal the results through the administrative process set up by USADA. In this instance, a third party, McLaren Global Sports Solutions, Inc. of Toronto, Canada would handle the arbitration between the fighter and USADA. However, it’s a costly proposition as there is an administrative fee of $2,700 to file for arbitration plus the cost of an attorney if the fighter chooses to be represented by one. The UFC will pay for the fees and expenses of an arbitrator or a panel of 3 arbitrators. The arbitrators will be compensated $325 per hour per the USADA UFC arbitration rules.
The other issue is whether other regulatory bodies will honor a ruling by USADA. What if Cro Cop returns to fight with another organization? Or does kickboxing instead of MMA? This issue has always been out there when the anti-doping policy was implemented.
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