USADA reveal Mirko Cro Cop was suspended despite not failing drug test

It turns out Mirko Filipovic was handed a two year suspension by USADA after he passed a drug test.

The legendary heavyweight admitted to using human growth hormones to heal an injured shoulder in November and was subsequently pulled from his scheduled fight with Anthony Hamilton. It was later announced that Cro Cop would serve a two-year suspension for his anti-doping violations. However, it has since emerged that the former PRIDE champion passed a drug test administered by USADA, but his suspension will still stand. USADA spokesperson Annie Skinner made the revelation to MMA Fighting.

"Regardless of whether Mr. Filipovic was actively using a prohibited substance during the time of his test, he admitted to the use, attempted use, and possession of human growth hormone (hGH), which are all violations of the UFC Anti-Doping Policy."

Prior to the suspension, the Croatian had already retired from MMA. Cro Cop posted an announcement on his official website on Tuesday, declaring that a shoulder injury forced him to pull out of the fight with Hamilton, which ultimately led to him hanging up his gloves for good.

“I tried to save a shoulder injury and repair in all possible ways: daily therapy, injections of blood plasma and various cocktails of drugs but didn’t work out." “The only cure would be a break of two to three weeks, and that I could not afford in the midst of final preparations. By daily trainings the injury gets worse. Part of the muscle is snapped, the shoulder is filled with a lot of fluids, and the great danger is that tendon ruptures and then go to operation again.”