Amir Khan tested positive for a banned substance following his fight with Kell Brook.
It has been reported by the Mail that Khan tested positive for ostarine in a post-fight urine test. He was notified of the result on April 6 and suspended provisionally. Khan accepted the verdict, but claimed taking the banned substance ‘wasn’t intentional.’
UKAD provided the following statement:
“Professional boxer and Olympic medallist Amir Khan has been banned from all sport for two years following Anti-Doping Rule Violations for the presence and use of a Prohibited substance.”
Mr Khan accepted the violations charged but maintained that his ingestion of ostarine was not ‘intentional’ … As a consequence his case was referred to the National Anti-Doping Panel to be considered by an independent tribunal.
Mr Khan’s case was heard by the independent tribunal on 24 January 2023 and in its written decision dated 21 February 2023, the panel found both violations proved, concluded that Mr Khan had established that they were not “intentional” within the meaning of ADR Article 10.2.3 and imposed a two-year ban on him. The panel also disqualified Mr Khan’s result from the bout against Mr Brook.
Mr Khan’s two-year ban is deemed to have commenced on 6 April 2022 (the date his Provisional Suspension was imposed) and will expire on 5 April 2024.”
The drug is a ‘selective androgen receptor modulator’ with similar properties to anabolic steroids used for muscle growth that is banned in and out of competition by the World Anti Doping Agency.
In fact, a 2021 report by UKAD identifies it as ‘not approved for human consumption in the UK or anywhere else in the world.’
Brook and Khan faced off in the final bouts of their careers after a long-running feud that past its fighting sell-by date long before they made their ring walks.
The Bolton man looked a shadow of his former self and was out moved and out gunned by a fresher Brook. The winner was first to announce his retirement, with Khan following suit not long after.
In more recent times, he has discussed a potential stint on the exhibition scene, as well as floating a pro return to settle bad blood with highly-touted prospect, Hamzah Sheeraz.
Rather than donning the gloves again, he’s recently signed up to return to ITV show, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
He is yet to comment publicly on the report.