Mexican fighter, Francisco Rodríguez Jr., remains in the eye of the storm as he’s been handed a two-year suspension from all competition governed by the World Anti-Doping Code, after positive tests for banned substances following his bout against Galal Yafai in June, 2025.
The sanction was confirmed two days ago by UK Anti Doping, nearly nine months after the fight in Birmingham, last year. The ban is backdated to July 30, 2025, the date of his provisional suspension, and will run through July 30, 2027.
Timeline of a Case That Escalated
Rodriguez had originally defeated Yafai by unanimous decision, claiming the interim flyweight title of the World Boxing Council. However, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association’s post-fight test returned an adverse finding.
Weeks later, the WBC overturned the result, ruling the bout a no contest, and reinstated Yafai as interim champion.
UKAD later confirmed the findings:
“On June 21, 2025, a urine sample was collected in-competition following the bout against Galal Yafai in Birmingham,” it said.
“Analysis detected octodrine, its metabolite heptaminol, and oxilofrine — substances prohibited in-competition.”
According to UKAD, Rodriguez failed to respond to multiple attempts to contact him, allowing the disciplinary process to move forward without his formal participation.
Even so, and without a final ruling at the time, Rodriguez returned to the boxing ring in October, just four months after the Yafai bout, scoring a two-round stoppage over Jesus Faro in Mexico.
WBC Ruling & Probation Period
In parallel, the WBC issued its own ruling on July 26, concluding that the ingestion of the banned substance was accidental and unintentional.
As part of that decision, the organization:
- Declared the interim title vacant and ordered a rematch with Yafai (later scrapped)
- Officially changed the result to a no contest
- Placed Rodriguez on a 12-month probation period, running through June 21, 2026
- Ordered additional random anti-doping testing at the fighter’s expense
That probation period overlapped directly with Rodriguez’s recent activity, including his return to the ring in October and any subsequent plans. Notably, the terms of probation did not prohibit him from fighting, a point that has raised eyebrows.
WBC Resolution for Francisco Rodriguez
Despite the confirmed two year UKAD suspension, the WBC included Rodriguez in a final eliminator against Venezuelan contender Angelino Córdova, scheduled for May 23, 2026.
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