DAZN loses heavyweight fight after adverse PED test results

Next weekend it was supposed to present two boxing cards on DAZN, but now there will only be one. The undercard Lawrence Okolie vs. Tony Yoka which was originally scheduled to take place at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France, has been cancelled.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association administered DEP testing for the fight and informed Queensberry of an adverse finding in Okolie’s sample. Okolie has been provisionally suspended and the entire 7-fight card has been cancelled.

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Okolie took to Instagram to address the situation.

“Before anyone starts imagining the worst, after my biceps injury last year, I suffered an elbow injury in the same arm during this camp. I received treatment and now here we are. I really hope common sense prevails. Of course, I will fully cooperate with all relevant authorities and am confident that any investigation will clear my name. I will not be commenting further at this time. Thank you for all your support and we will see you soon.”

What does this mean for Okolie and Yoka?

It’s a big setback for both men. Okolie has looked dominant since moving up to heavyweight in 2024. He would have loved to get a win over Yoka to get him closer to a big payday and perhaps a title shot. Yoka was a bright prospect coming out of the 2016 Olympics, but went on a three-fight losing streak in 2022-23. He had bounced back with four straight wins and this fight with Okolie could have been huge for him.

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Okolie is ranked number one in the WBC heavyweight rankings, behind champion Oleksandr Usyk and interim title holder Agit Kabayel. A win over Yoka could have positioned him for a mandatory title fight later this year. Now, with a provisional suspension and a VADA case under review, that timeline is in serious jeopardy.

What other fights were canceled on the card?

There weren’t many big names, but still, these matchups are permanently canceled or will have to be rescheduled:

• Bakary Samake vs Ermal Hadribeaj – super welterweight

• Khalil El Hadri vs Liborio Solís – heavyweight

• Adam Olaniyan vs Andre Youmbi Oyen – heavyweight

• Luis Vela vs Yeison Juárez – super lightweight

• Enzo Marguerite vs Jeremy Alvarez – super welterweight

• Mourad Aliev vs Jhan Carlo Delgado – heavyweight

The Samake-Hadribeaj clash was the co-main event and a WBC final eliminator at 154 pounds. That delay is the second biggest impact on the card behind the main event itself.

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What’s left on DAZN’s roster after Okolie-Yoka’s cancellation?

Miller-Pero in Las Vegas becomes the main heavyweight fight of the weekend. Jarrell Miller takes on Lenier Pero in Fontainebleau in a fight with real implications for the heavyweight rankings, and the card has solid depth on the card.

DAZN’s other offering is Jacob Bank vs. Paulinus Ndjolonimu in Kolding, Denmark, a more regional card that completes the calendar. Between the two, Miller-Pero is what most American boxing fans will tune into.

When is the next big boxing event?

May 2 is a doubleheader weekend with Inoue-Nakatani and Ramírez-Benavidez. Naoya Inoue defends his undisputed junior featherweight championship against Junto Nakatani in Tokyo, while Gilberto Ramírez puts his WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles on the line against David Benavidez on a DAZN PPV from Las Vegas.

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This was quickly followed by Fabio Wardley against Daniel Dubois on May 9 in Manchester for the WBO heavyweight title, and Oleksandr Usyk against Rico Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt for the WBC heavyweight title. The next month of boxing is loaded enough to make the cancellation of Paris easier to absorb.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com.