Former Tony Bellew opponent Ivica Bacurin has been suspended from all sport by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD), it was been revealed.
The Croatian was flagged for a violation in 2018, after facing Joe Joyce in a heavyweight bout at London’s York Hall.
Taking 15 months to complete the investigation, UKAD has now given Bacurin the maximum punishment.
Tony Bellew opponent Ivica Bacurin
Releasing official information, UKAD named the adverse findings as a ‘cocktail of banned substances’.
6β-hydroxymetandienone and 17α-methyl-5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol (metabolites of metandienone);
dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone and its metabolite 3α,4α,5α,17β-4-chloro-17-hydroxymethyl-17-methyl-18-norandrostan-3-ol;
17α-epitrenbolone (a metabolite of trenbolone); and
carboxy-THC (a metabolite of cannabis)
Metandienone, dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone and trenbolone (and their respective metabolites) are non-Specified Substances prohibited at all times. Cannabis (and its metabolites) is a Specified Substance that is prohibited In-Competition only.
Informed on September 4th of 2018, Bacuring amazingly fought just four days later. He scored a first round knockout of Tamas Bajzath under Croatian authority.
Since then, Bacurin has been out of action. While as second notice was served to the predominal cruiserweight weeks later.
UKAD said: “Bacurin’s A Sample was also estimated to contain an abnormally high testosterone to epitestosterone (T/E) ratio.
“As a result, the A Sample underwent further analysis, which confirmed a further Adverse Analytical Finding for exogenous testosterone and the following metabolites of testosterone:
1) androsterone;
2) etiocholanone; and
3) 5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol.
“Therefore, on 19 March 2019, UKAD issued a second notice to Mr Bačurin. The first and second charges were considered together before a National Anti-Doping Panel tribunal on 19 September 2019.”
COCKTAIL
Director of Operations, Pat Myhill, added: “This is another example of an athlete taking a cocktail of banned substances, something we’re seeing increasingly often.
“Taking even one banned substance is concerning enough, but when multiple drugs are involved there can be significant health implications.”
The 37 year-old, who was stopped by Bellew at the Echo Arena in 2015, will be eligible to re-apply to fight on the 8th of September, 2022.
Bellew is a notorious advocate for clean boxing and will no doubt be appalled by the notion of facing Bacurin in the past.
Bacurin also shared the ring with Dillian Whyte, Murat Gassiev, Tom Schwarz and Carlos Takam.
