British boxer Lawrence Okolie has tested positive for a banned substance ahead of his highly anticipated match against Tony Yoka, prompting the cancellation of their fight scheduled for this weekend in Paris. Okolie, who had been preparing to face the Olympic gold medalist Yoka, was informed of the adverse finding by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on Tuesday.
The Queensberry promotions announced the cancellation of the event, which was set to take place at the Adidas Arena in the French capital. This development is a significant setback for Okolie, who was looking to position himself for a shot at the heavyweight world championship. Okolie, a former world champion at cruiserweight and current WBC belt holder in the bridgerweight division, had been on a three-fight winning streak at heavyweight.
In response to the news, Okolie took to social media to address the situation, revealing that he had suffered an elbow injury during training camp and had received treatment for it. He expressed hope that the investigation would clear his name and stated that he would cooperate fully with the relevant authorities. Okolie has decided not to comment further on the matter at this time.