Lawrence Okolie has pledged to clear his name after a failed drugs test led to the cancellation of his heavyweight bout against Tony Yoka in Paris this weekend. The British former cruiserweight world champion, now ranked number one by the WBC, was due to face the Frenchman on Saturday.
Promoter Queensberry announced that the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) had informed them of an adverse finding from a test conducted before the event. Queensberry and Dazn subsequently cancelled the scheduled event, citing circumstances outside their control.
In a statement on Instagram, Okolie attributed the failed test to treatment for an elbow injury sustained during training camp. He expressed confidence that an investigation would clear his name and stated his full cooperation with authorities.
Tony Yoka, a 2016 Olympic gold medallist, has a professional record of 15 wins and three losses. He previously served a one-year ban in 2018 for failing to provide a doping sample on three occasions.
