Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has gone through a prolonged struggle against UK Anti-Doping.
Fury and his cousin Hughie Fury tested positive for nandrolone, a banned anabolic steroid. According to the BBC, the Fury’s had been using it in February 2015 before Fury’s fight against Wladimir Klitschko in November. Fury famously outboxed the Ukrainian heavyweight great and grabbed the heavyweight mantle for himself.
The two were supposed to fight again in a rematch but the fight got postponed twice due to Fury’s mental struggles. Time and time again Fury has denied using any steroids and has claimed that his testosterone levels went up due to eating contaminated meat.
Addressing the so called positive test, I didn't test positive Ukad said I had elevated levels, hence no ban!
I was told no case to answer 2— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) November 8, 2017
UKAD gave the Fury’s a temporary suspension that got lifted once they appealed in August 2016. In October the same year, Fury announced that he would give up all his titles. He made his mental health struggles public and tested positive for cocaine.
As a "mental health ambassador"I'm doing this to show everyone who suffers that it can be done & that your not alone, let's do it together😉
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) November 10, 2017
Fury has since continued his battle against UKAD. Now it’s been revealed that the aforementioned battle might bankrupt UKAD if Fury wins his case against them. The boxer reportedly makes over £5 million per fight plus other income. If Fury decides to pursue further legal action against UKAD and sue over loss of earnings, that could cause serious financial troubles to the Anti-Doping company, especially since their annual budget is £9 million.
The BBC reports that UKAD’s are aware of the situation and have sought guidance from the government and from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
However, UKAD and DCMS do not want to settle because they are worried about what that could cause from an integrity standpoint. Dropping the case would send the wrong signal to other athletes and sports stars.
In September UKAD gave an update and said that “all parties are awaiting a ruling” from the National Anti-Doping Panel (NAPD). According to BBC Sport, the NADP meeting will happen in December.
According to Fury’s management, the fear of possibly paying the boxer massive amounts of money is the reason why UKAD have postponed Fury’s case.
Significant legal costs and further court battles would mean dramatic financial troubles for UKAD, should Fury sue.
Earlier in March Fury announced he would return to boxing in May of 2017. Soon after the British Boxing Board of Control stepped in and stated that Fury would not be eligible to box as a professional until his anti-doping violation case was settled.
In July, Fury announced on social media that we would retire from professional boxing. However, only hours after announcing his retirement Fury then said he would not be retiring from the sport.
Morning fightfans I've had another. Good sesh in the gym, you will be pleased to hear that I've shed another 9lbs the weight is melting off.
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) November 10, 2017
In mid-October Fury made his most recent comeback announcement and promised to fight three times in 2018. The former champion is currently in a war of words with Anthony Joshua as the two are expected to meet next year in a massive heavyweight clash.
@anthonyfjoshua should not fight @BronzeBomber before he fights me, as if he loses our colossal fight will become minor. Wilder must wait.👍🏻
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) November 8, 2017
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