Lawrence Okolie has issued a statement denying wrongdoing after an adverse finding in an anti-doping test conducted ahead of his scheduled fight against Tony Yoka in Paris this Saturday. The bout, set to take place at the Adidas Arena, has been cancelled by promoter Queensberry Promotions following notification from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) of the failed test result. The press conference planned for Tuesday in Paris was also called off at the last minute. Okolie addressed the allegations on his official Instagram account, citing recent injury issues. "Before anyone starts imagining the worst, following my bicep injury last year, I sustained an elbow injury on the same arm during this camp," he said. "I had a treatment on it and now we are here. I truly hope sense prevails." He confirmed he will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities, adding, "I'm confident any investigation will clear my name." No further details about the substance or the nature of the treatment were provided. The cancellation marks a sudden halt to a high-profile heavyweight matchup between Okolie and Yoka, both undefeated contenders. VADA and Queensberry have not disclosed the timeline for the investigation. Okolie remains silent beyond his initial statement and will not be making additional comments for now.
A boxer citing an elbow injury treatment as context for a failed drug test invites scrutiny, not reassurance. The cancellation of a major fight on the eve of the event suggests the finding was serious enough to halt proceedings without delay. No African or Nigerian boxer was involved in this incident.
💡 NaijaBuzz is an AI-assisted news aggregator. This content is curated from third-party sources — NaijaBuzz is not the original publisher and is not responsible for the accuracy of source reporting. The NaijaBuzz Take is AI-assisted editorial opinion only, not established fact. All persons mentioned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction. NaijaBuzz does not endorse the views expressed in source articles.
