Tyson Fury free to resume boxing career

By Matt Law, Football Editor

Published: December 12 2017 | 16:27

Last updated: December 16 2017 | 22:20

Tyson Fury is cleared to resume his boxing career after accepting a backdated two-year doping ban.

Tyson Fury has been cleared to resume his boxing career after the former heavyweight world champion accepted a backdated two-year doping ban.

Fury was charged in June 2016 for using a banned steroid, but the 29-year-old insisted that the result of the test was positive because he consumed an uncastrated wild boar.

Fury has not boxed since famously overcoming Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015, and has battled mental health problems over the last couple of years.

UK Anti-Doping have revealed that the British Boxing Board of Control has agreed to the outcome, although it is subject to Fury regaining his boxing licence.

"UKAD, Tyson Fury and Hughie Fury have agreed to resolve the proceedings brought by UKAD (1) against Tyson Fury and Hughie Fury based on the reported presence of elevated levels of nandrolone metabolites in urine samples that they provided after their respective fights in February 2015; and (2) against Tyson Fury based on his alleged failure to provide a sample in September 2016," read a statement from UK Anti-Doping.

"UKAD's position is that the anti-doping rule violations it has asserted have been committed and the consequences set out in the UK Anti-Doping Rules should apply. Tyson and Hughie Fury's position is that they have never knowingly or deliberately committed any anti-doping rule violation. ‎In recognition of the respective counter-arguments and the risks inherent in the dispute resolution process, each side has accepted a compromise of its position.

"Taking into account the delays in results management that meant charges were not brought in respect of the nandrolone findings until June 2016, and the provisional suspensions that Tyson and Hughie Fury have already effectively served, the two year period of ineligibility is backdated to 13 December 2015, and therefore expires at midnight on 12 December 2017. The British Boxing Board of Control has also agreed to the resolution of these proceedings on this basis."

Unbeaten Fury took to Twitter shortly after the statement to call out fellow Brit Anthony Joshua.