- Ukad cleared boxer Joseph Parker after a positive test for cocaine, saying the substance was found in his system after a fight-day bout with Fabio Wardley.
- In a statement, Ukad said Parker had been given a diagnosis of what it described as the result of a “reliable explanation”.
- Ukad said that, based on the evidence presented, it accepted that the positive cocaine result was linked to the use of a banned substance, which it said was caused by a failed drug test.
For more information about the decision, see Sky Sports and Sky Sports.
UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) said it had accepted that the former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker’s positive test for cocaine was due to a “reliable explanation” provided by the athlete. Ukad said the reason for the positive test was linked to sport-related use of the substance by the nutritionist, which it said Parker believed was for the athlete’s health.
Ukad said that on 6 March 2026 Parker tested positive for a prohibited substance, which was confirmed by an independent laboratory analysis. The organisation said the result was confirmed on 25 October 2025. Ukad also said that the substance was found in the athlete’s system during a match.
Parker had previously been cleared by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) on 25 October, meaning that, on that day, the boxer was able to fight in the O2 Arena in London against Britain’s Fabio Wardley. Ukad said it had not overturned the test result.
According to Ukad, the ban was lifted in June: Parker’s provisional suspension was removed because the organisation accepted that the athlete had provided a “reliable explanation” for the positive cocaine result. Ukad said it also found that Parker’s professional record of 36 wins in his WBO world title run from 2016 to 2018 was clear.
In a statement, Parker addressed social media, saying that his “provisional suspension” was lifted as a result of the decision. He also said that he had been a WBO world champion from 2016 to 2018.