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Lawrence Okolie has tested positive for a banned substance ahead of his heavyweight bout in Paris this Saturday against Tony Yoka. The 33-year-old Briton was scheduled to face France's 2016 Olympic champion on his home turf.
However, the former cruiserweight world champion has triggered an alert with VADA, casting doubt over the entire fight night.
A statement from Okolie's promoter, Queensberry, read: “Last night, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association informed Queensberry that Lawrence Okolie returned an adverse finding following an anti-doping test conducted prior to Saturday’s event in Paris. Further information regarding the event will be announced in due course.”
Fans were astonished by Okolie's transformation after his move to heavyweight. He continued his pursuit of a world title shot with a routine victory over Ebenezer Tetteh last December.
This came after Okolie won the WBC Bridgerweight title in 2024, having also held the WBO Cruiserweight championship from 2021 to 2023.
The Briton, currently holding the WBC Silver heavyweight belt, was preparing to fight Yoka this weekend at the Adidas Arena. Earlier reports suggested that talks had taken place for the Frenchman to face Anthony Joshua.
The British Boxing Board of Control politely declined to comment to SunSport until they gather more information and can provide a fully informed response.
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