Conor Benn was charged with alleged clomifene use in April, Ukad confirms

UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) has announced that Conor Benn was charged with the alleged use of clomifene, a banned substance that boosts testosterone, this month. The charge could result in a two-year ban for the British boxer who has been trying to resume his troubled career abroad without clearing his name in public first.

This latest development marks a further hardening in Ukad’s approach to the case, which first made news last October when, in the week of his planned and heavily hyped fight against Chris Eubank Jr, it emerged that Benn had returned a positive test result for clomifene. Despite initial efforts to proceed with the bout, the media and public uproar forced its cancellation. Later that month Benn admitted he had also returned a second and earlier positive test result for clomifene. Both these results were recorded by Vada (the Voluntary Anti-Doping Authority) and, while Benn had not failed any Ukad tests, the British agency took serious note of the two separate positives.

On Tuesday it was reported that Ukad had provisionally suspended Benn on 15 March. While Ukad would not confirm or deny that news then, as it only comments on unresolved investigations in “exceptional circumstances”, on Thursday it made a public statement that began with the assertion that the Benn case is one of those “limited and rare examples”.

Ukad declared: “Following reports in the media and comments made by professional boxer Mr Conor Benn on Tuesday 18 April 2023, and in exceptional circumstances, UK Anti-Doping confirms that Mr Benn was notified and provisionally suspended by Ukad on 15 March 2023 in accordance with the UK Anti-Doping Rules … Ukad can also confirm that on 3 April 2023 it charged Mr Benn with an Article 2.2 violation