Whyte insists he won fight fairly

DILLIAN Whyte has broken his silence over the positive anti-doping test ahead of his bout against Oscar Rivas, saying he was cleared to fight and won it “fair and square”.

On Wednesday, the BoxingScene.com website reported that “one or more banned substances” had been detected in Whyte’s A sample but neither Rivas nor the WBC was informed of the test.

The British heavyweight is understood to have returned the positive test, conducted by UK Anti-Doping, three days before Saturday’s contest at The 02 in London, which Whyte won via a unanimous points verdict to claim the World Boxing Council’s interim title. The 31-year-old Londoner, who served a two-year doping ban between 2012 and 2014, did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday but has now issued a short statement on Twitter.

“I am so disappointed with the rubbish that has been said about me over the last few days,” he wrote. “I have lawyers dealing with it and I have been told that I can’t talk about it for good legal reasons. I was cleared to fight and I won that fight fair and square.”

PA understands his lawyers have asked BoxingScene.com to remove the initial story, and subsequent reports, on the grounds they are defamatory.

Neither UKAD nor the WBC has commented, and the British Boxing Board of Control, the sport’s national governing body, has only said UKAD handles its anti-doping programme and it enforces any sanctions that may arise.

Whyte’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said Whyte and Rivas were “subject to extensive testing” by UKAD and the Voluntary AntiDoping Agency, the organisation used by the WBC for its anti-doping programme. Hearn added that “both fighters were cleared to fight by both bodies and the BBBofC”.