Cro Cop admits to growth hormone usage

Last week Mirko Cro Cop revealed that he would be retiring from MMA as a result of a shoulder injury sustained in training.

Cro Cop penned a lengthy statement on his official website, where he explained that he had been training with an injury throughout his entire training camp for his UFC Fight Night: Seoul fight against Anthony Hamilton.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Cro Cop had potentially violated a USADA rule, and had been suspended.

Now, Cro Cop is admitting that in a “desperate” move he used a growth hormone to help his shoulder.

He released a statement through his website, which we have an excerpt of for you below:

“Growth hormones are on the list of banned substances,” Cro Cop wrote. “I knew that already. But there was no other way to save my shoulder–at least in my mind–without combining the blood plasma with growth hormones. Unfortunately it turns out the only cure was a good break and rest. But a desperate man will try anything.

“After 6 days of growth hormone and plasma injections, the USADA came to test me. I gave them my blood sample and urine samples and immediately told the UFC about the test. I also said that I had been taking blood plasma and growth hormone since nothing else was working.”

You can read the full statement on Cro Cop’s website by clicking THIS LINK.