- The 28-year-old has been cleared by UK Anti-Doping to fight in England again
- Conor Benn previously failed drug tests after clomiphene was found in samples
- Benn has since posted a cryptic update on social media following the latest statement
Conor Benn has been allowed to return to the British ring for free after UK Anti-Doping ended their two-year battle over his failed drugs tests.
UKAD had been considering their options after the independent National Anti-Doping Panel ruled they were ‘not comfortably satisfied’ earlier this month. Benn had broken all the rules, despite returning two positive samples for clomiphene in 2022.
Together with the British Boxing Board of Control, UKAD have now confirmed that they will not exercise their right to appeal, meaning most of the major obstacles to Benn fighting on home shores have been removed. The World Anti-Doping Agency still has the option to appeal within the next three weeks.
The saga will raise questions about the principle of strict liability surrounding doping cases, with prominent sources in the boxing world also privately questioning whether UKAD had the willingness to enforce such a complicated course of action.
For Benn, who has always denied wrongdoing, the immediate intention is to fight Mario Barrios, the WBC welterweight world champion, with other fights against Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Chris Eubank Jr.
Benn’s only appearances since Mail Sport revealed his positive tests in October 2022 have been two low-profile fights in the US on foreign licensing.
Conor Benn has been cleared to fight in England again by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD)
The British fighter’s future has been under a cloud of controversy since Mail Sport revealed in October 2022 that the banned substance clomiphene had been found twice in samples.
Benn posted this cryptic update on his X-profile in response to UKAD’s ruling on Thursday
The details of the NADP verdict remain vague due to confidentiality clauses, meaning there is no confirmation as to whether Benn’s team provided any scientific explanation for how the banned substance entered his system.
An earlier part of Benn’s legal defense is said to have focused heavily on the methodologies deployed by the body that conducted his testing, the US-based Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, and whether UKAD had jurisdictional discretion to rule on them.