In a shocking turn of events, Finnish boxer Robert Helenius has been banned from the sport for two years after testing positive for clomifene in a UK Anti-Doping test. The 40-year-old boxer, who was 39 at the time of the fight, was knocked out by Anthony Joshua at London’s O2 Arena in August 2023.

Helenius initially claimed that the clomifene found in his system must have originated from eggs and chicken meat he consumed before the match. However, the UK Anti-Doping Agency has released a statement saying that Helenius was unable to provide evidence that the eggs and chicken he consumed came from hens that had been administered clomifene.

As a result, Helenius was unable to identify the source of clomifene in his sample and therefore unable to reduce the applicable period of ineligibility to two years. The ban will be valid from September 18, 2023, when Helenius was provisionally suspended and will expire after midnight on September 17, 2025.

Helenius’ ban marks a significant setback for the Finnish boxer, who will now have to sit out of the sport for two years before he can return to the ring.