British boxer Lawrence Okolie has tested positive for a banned substance ahead of his highly anticipated bout against Olympic champion Tony Yoka, prompting the cancellation of their scheduled fight in Paris. Okolie was set to face Yoka at the Adidas Arena on Saturday, but the event has been called off after the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association informed Queensberry Promotions of the adverse finding. This development is a significant setback for Okolie, who was seeking to position himself for a world heavyweight title shot.
Okolie, a former world champion at cruiserweight and bridgerweight, had been on a three-fight winning streak at heavyweight. He took to social media to address the situation, revealing that he had suffered an elbow injury during training and received treatment, which he hopes will be taken into consideration.
Okolie expressed his confidence that an investigation will clear his name and stated that he will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities.