Boxing
Francisco Rodriguez Jr still ready to fight despite a two-year doping ban
Mexican flyweight Francisco “Chihuas” Rodriguez Jr still has plans to fight even after being banned for two years from all sports under the World Anti-Doping Code after testing positive for drugs following a dominant victory over Galal Yafai in Great Britain.
British Anti-Doping confirmed that Rodriguez had committed an anti-doping rule violation in relation to the presence and employ of prohibited stimulants after providing an in-competition sample on June 21, 2025, the night he handed Yafai his first professional defeat.
Analysis of the urine sample showed unfavorable results for octodrine and its metabolite heptaminol, as well as oxylofrine. All three substances are classified as specific stimulants banned in competition.
Rodriguez was given a two-year period of ineligibility beginning July 30, 2025, the date his provisional suspension was imposed. The sanction will expire at 23:59 on July 29, 2027.
The ruling ends a long-running saga stemming from the fight in Great Britain, where Rodriguez dominated Yafai for twelve rounds to take a unanimous decision and improve his record to 41-6-1 after 28 knockouts.
According to CompuBox, the judges scored the fight 119-108 twice and 118-109 when the Mexican veteran landed an extraordinary force of 528 punches.
Timeline of the Rodriguez doping case
The positive test first came shortly after the fight, World Boxing News reported at the time, as questions began to arise about the result.
Rodriguez later denied knowingly taking any banned substance, stating that he had not intentionally taken anything illegal in reference to the allegations.
Attention soon turned to coach Eddy Reynoso as Rodriguez’s team tried to clarify the situation, which was another development covered by WBN as the investigation continued.
UKAD said Rodriguez did not respond to repeated attempts to contact him about the allegations before the sanction was finalized.
The lengthy disciplinary process diluted the immediate impact typically associated with a two-year suspension. Rodriguez fought again four months later, stopping Jesus Faro in two rounds in Mexico in October 2025.
WBC trial controversy
At the same time, the World Boxing Council imposed its own controversial sanction following the positive test.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman placed Rodriguez on a twelve-month probation period, sparking debate over the sanctioning body’s authority to discipline fighters fighting for its championship.
“The athlete will be on a ‘probationary period’ for twelve months during which tests will be conducted and, in the event of failure, immediate sanctions relating to previous tests will be imposed. The sanction comes solely from the WBC,” Sulaiman said, defending the move.
Critics argued that this approach caused confusion with national regulators such as the British Boxing Board of Control, which has yet to issue its own ruling on the matter.
The situation also raised doubts about the fight result itself, which remained unchanged on BoxRec as the regulatory process dragged on.
Complication of white blood cell eliminator
Despite the controversy, Rodriguez continues to appear in the WBC flyweight title fight.
The organization’s March 2026 “Status by Division” document lists Rodriguez in the qualifiers against Angelino Cordova scheduled for May 23.
This fight could put Rodriguez back on the path to a rematch with Yafai, who currently holds the interim WBC flyweight title and is expected to challenge champion Ricardo Sandoval.
Rodriguez also announced the fight during the period covered by the WBC’s suspension decision, further complicating an already confusing matter.
Following UKAD’s decision to force a worldwide suspension under the World Anti-Doping Code, World Boxing News expects the WBC to formally remove the qualifier from its flyweight status list.
Anti-doping procedure questioned
Rodriguez faced hefty criticism from British fans after the Yafai fight, and some observers across the Atlantic also questioned a photo circulating with trainer Eddy Reynoso.
However, the length of the anti-doping trial means that the ruling comes almost a year after the fight itself. Before the verdict was handed down, Rodriguez fought again.
The case also echoes jurisdictional debates during the Conor Benn saga, with Benn competing twice in the United States while still under investigation for two failed tests.
At this rate, UKAD penalties run the risk of being perceived to be unevenly enforced across different regions of the sport when decisions are made long after the events that triggered them.
World Boxing News will continue to monitor developments in the flyweight division as governing bodies respond to the UKAD ruling.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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“I thought this kid was delusional,” Nelson told Sport Boxing. “After Giant I thought this kid hadn’t changed, and when I saw the show I thought you’ve definitely gotten worse.”
Nelson said he recently ignored two messages from Hamed on WhatsApp and is not interested in renewing the friendship.
“I turned him off. I don’t associate with him,” Nelson said. “If you look like an idiot, you feed him.”
The former cruiserweight champion made it clear that while he still respects Hamed’s achievements in the ring, he no longer respects him as a person.
“Do I admire what he’s accomplished? A lot,” Nelson said. “But as a person, I lost complete and utter respect for him.”
Much of Nelson’s anger appears to have to do with Hamed’s criticism of overdue coach Brendan Ingle, to whom both players attribute their careers. Nelson said he couldn’t accept the way Hamed spoke about a man he believed gave everything to the gym.
The public feud has escalated into one of the ugliest old-fashioned feuds in British boxing, with two former world champions now trading personal shots instead of memories.
It’s challenging to watch because these two are icons of the golden age of English in Sheffield. When you see former stablemates exchanging shots this overdue in life, you usually get the impression that there’s a lot of unhealed history behind them.
Naz’s “snake” comment clearly hit a nerve, but Nelson’s reaction suggests his real problem is his perceived lack of respect for Brendan Ingle. For Nelson, Brendan was the man who kept him afloat when he was struggling. The sight of Naz attacking that legacy seems to be a deal-breaker.
Nelson willingly gives Naz flowers for what he did in the ring, but closes the door on him himself. It’s a shame to see them at odds, especially since they were once the face of the same team, but Nelson seems to have found a lot of peace by simply pressing “block” and moving on.
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