Tony Bellew has blasted the US commissioners who have ruled that Oscar Valdez vs Robson Conceicao can proceed as planned this weekend.

It was revealed last week that the WBC super-featherweight champion tested positive for phentermine – a central-nervous stimulant.

His team have insisted that the Mexican did not knowingly ingest the substance ahead of his defence against Robson Conceicao on September 10 and claim to believe it came from “an herbal tea”.

Phentermine is on the VADA banned list, but VADA merely collect the samples and report test results. They do not enforce rulings, this is the job of the various boxing commissions.

Some commissions adhere to the VADA banned list when ruling on such matters, but others follow the WADA code.


Under the WADA code, phentermine is only banned ‘in competition’ – and the ‘in competition’ period only begins on fight day itself.

As such, the local commission in this instance have cleared Valdez to fight regardless of the positive test.


Bellew told iFL TV: “It’s a f***ing disgrace that the fight’s going ahead. And what the f***’s gonna go on if that boy gets hurt?

“Someone tell me – if Robson Conceicao gets hurt, people are going to jail, they’ve gotta go to jail. Do not let this fight happen.

“That athletic commission, I can’t even pronounce the name of it, they’ve approved this fight when a man has had an A and a B sample come in, and they’re both reading the same thing…

“It’s insane. If Robson Conceicao gets hurt in that fight, that could be the end of boxing.

“That’s how bad it is, boxing could be forced underground.”

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/9...-oscar-valdez/