Lawrence Okolie has vowed to clear his name after a failed drugs test led to the cancellation of his heavyweight bout against Tony Yoka, scheduled for this Saturday in Paris. The British former cruiserweight world champion, who moved up to heavyweight and is the WBC's No 1-ranked contender, tested positive in a test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada).
Promoter Queensberry announced the adverse finding late last night, stating that a further update regarding the event would be made in due course. Subsequently, Queensberry and Dazn confirmed the cancellation of the entire event in Paris due to circumstances outside their control.
In a personal Instagram post, Okolie explained that he had sustained an elbow injury during camp, following a previous bicep injury, and had sought treatment. He expressed hope that sense would prevail and pledged full cooperation with the relevant authorities, expressing confidence that any investigation would clear his name.
The press conference scheduled for Tuesday in Paris to promote the bout was cancelled at the last minute before the fight was also called off. Yoka, the 2016 Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist, has a professional record of 15 wins and three defeats, and previously served a one-year ban in 2018 for failing to provide a doping sample three times in one year.
