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, who was set to face Yoka at the Adidas Arena on Saturday, had been looking to strengthen his position for a shot at the heavyweight world title. The boxer, a former world champion at cruiserweight and bridgerweight, recently moved up to heavyweight, where he had secured three consecutive victories. Following the announcement, Okolie took to social media to address the situation, revealing that he had suffered an elbow injury during training and underwent treatment, which he believes may be linked to the adverse test result.
Okolie expressed his hope that the investigation would clear his name and stated that he would cooperate fully with the relevant authorities. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association informed Okolie's promoter, Queensberry, of the test results, leading to the cancellation of the event.