Report: Dillian Whyte Tests Positive For Banned Substance Prior To Oscar Rivas Fight
According to a report, Dillian Whyte has tested positive for a banned substance prior to his last fight this past weekend.
Thomas Hauser of Boxing Scene said multiple sources confirmed that an “A” sample from Whyte turned out positive for an illegal substance. The report stated that the positive test result was administered by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD), not from the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).
Whyte managed to overcome a late knockdown scored by Rivas to win the interim WBC heavyweight title by unanimous decision on July 20. The fight, which took place as the main event of a Matchroom Boxing card at The O2 Arena in London, also served as a final eliminator where the winner became the mandatory challenger to Deontay Wilder’s full WBC title.
The report also stated that the test result was sent to both the Whyte camp and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) before July 20, but the BBBofC allegedly allowed the fight to move forward as scheduled. Despite the positive test result, Whyte is allowed to appeal it and per UKAD rules, the fighter in question is not guilty of breaching protocol and cannot be sanctioned by the BBBofC until an adjudication and due process is complete. Such a process would start with the findings of a “B” sample, though the timing of the result of those findings can vary.
This isn’t the first time that Whyte has served a suspension for a positive test. In 2012, Whyte failed a drug test for Methylhexaneamine and was suspended from October 13, 2012 to October 12, 2014 by the UKAD.