Boxing: Fury return on hold after UKAD hearing postponed
Tyson Fury's bid to return to the ring is on hold after UKAD hearing was postponed.
LONDON (AFP) - Tyson Fury s bid to return to the ring is on hold after a UK-Anti Doping hearing involving the former world heavyweight champion was postponed.
Fury had been hoping to make his comeback with a bout in July, but the controversial British fighter is still waiting for a final ruling from UKAD after the hearing into a suspended drugs ban started on Monday.
UKAD is reported to have asked for the postponement because of a potential conflict of interest involving a member of its panel, and has therefore chosen to revisit the hearing at a later date.
The hearing, which was expected to conclude this week, was due to rule on allegations Fury and his cousin and fellow heavyweight Hughie Fury tested positively for nandrolone in 2015.
Both fighters deny using the banned anabolic steroid, and it is also understood they had no plans to use the consumption of contaminated meat as their defence, as had been reported.
British Boxing Board of Control general secretary Robert Smith told Sky Sports: "It s been adjourned to carry on later on.
"This is one of those legal cases where anything legal goes a long time. I m not surprised, it s not unusual, it s obviously a complex case. I will expect a decision when I m given it."
Tyson Fury has not fought since beating Wladimir Klitschko to win the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles in November 2015.
He faces the prospect of waiting for the hearing to finally be concluded, then for UKAD s decision and any potential punishment he may receive, before attempting to recover his boxing licence.
"It reflects badly on UKAD; it s taken all this time to get there and in the meantime there s no outcome," promoter Frank Warren said.
"This is crazy. It s people s lives on hold, and it s wrong."
