Scott Coker Defends Rafael Lovato Jr. Against Steroid Allegations
Gegard Mousasi’s loss to Rafael Lovato Jr. at Bellator 223 came with more than a relinquishment of his Bellator middleweight championship. It also came with allegations of steroid abuse of his opponent, Lovato Jr. Mousasi relayed this theory to Bellator president Scott Coker (Transcript via MMA Junkie):
“I saw a picture of (Lovato Jr.) that did not look natural,” Mousasi said on the “Vechtersbazen Podcast” aired by the Dutch-language Spike. “(Coker) told me that he would get back at me and call me. I didn’t hear anything back.”
Scott Coker insists that he did take Mousasi’s accusation seriously, but ultimately there is no proof of doping on Lovato Jr.’s part.
“The guy’s been tested three or four times in the last 18 months, and he’s always come out clean,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “His test results yesterday were clean. We go by the testing of the commission or (Mike) Mazzulli, and that’s it. But for him to say he (texted) me and I ignored him, that’s inaccurate.”
The regulator for Bellator 223 was Mike Mazzulli, and he informed Mousasi of Lovato Jr.’s negative test results, which did nothing to assuage Mousasi’s concerns. Mousasi recently claimed to be 100% confident that Lovato Jr. was on steroids. Mazzulli is the head of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation and acts as an independent testing agent for Bellator. According to Scott Coker, this is the best system the promotion can have in place at the time being:
“Even though (Mazzulli) comes in and does testing for us, if somebody got busted – and I don’t know how many there are – he’s regulated them and said, ‘This is your penalty,’” Coker said. “But we don’t make the penalty call. That’s done by the commission, because the way the UFC does it, you’re judge, jury and executioner, and I don’t think that works, because it’s a conflict of interest at that point.
“Until there’s a federal body that comes in and regulates the sport, and does all the testing independently – truly independently – I think this is the right way to go.”
