{"id":67889,"date":"2025-08-15T02:41:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T02:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/67889\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T02:41:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T02:41:08","slug":"boxing-galal-yafai-to-fight-world-champion-ricardo-sandoval-after-wbc-u-turn-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/67889\/","title":{"rendered":"Boxing: Galal Yafai to fight world champion Ricardo Sandoval after WBC U-turn"},"content":{"rendered":"

The WBC have made Galal Yafai the mandatory challenger to unified flyweight world champion Ricardo Sandoval<\/a> amid an ongoing anti-doping scandal.<\/p>\n

Birmingham’s Yafai was beaten by Francisco Rodriguez Jr in June in Birmingham before the Mexican failed a drug test<\/a> on fight night.<\/p>\n

The WBC initially stated Rodriguez was not guilty of intentionally doping and ordered an immediate rematch with Yafai.<\/p>\n

It then emerged Rodriguez had also failed a drug test in December in Texas,<\/a> testing positive for THC, the primary compound in cannabis. <\/p>\n

He was given a 90-day suspension and neither the WBC or Yafai’s team were aware of the incident before the fight in June.<\/p>\n

Yafai’s promoter Eddie Hearn publicly lobbied for the WBC to change its ruling as the fight was ruled a no-contest.<\/p>\n

WBC president Mauricio Suliaman on Thursday confirmed to the Ring Magazine, external<\/a> the sanctioning body had changed its mind and installed Yafai as the mandatory challenger.<\/p>\n

The test was conducted on fight night and administered by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada), as part of the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program.<\/p>\n

Any fighter in the top 15 of the WBC’s rankings must register for drug testing and Yafai v Rodriguez was for the sanctioning body’s interim flyweight title.<\/p>\n

The British Boxing Board of Control is yet to make a decision on any suspension for Rodriguez. <\/p>\n