Two-time world champion Zolani Tete has received a four-year ban from the United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) agency due to his use of the performance-enhancing drug stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. Stanozolol is known for its potential to help athletes maintain lean muscle mass while reducing body fat.
Tete’s encounter with stanozolol began after a urine sample collected following his knockout victory over Jason Cunningham (32-8, 7 KO’s) on July 2nd, 2022, was found to contain the prohibited substance. Despite asserting his innocence, Zolani Tete (30-4, 21 KO’s) will be prohibited from competing on British soil for the next four years.
It remains unclear whether this ban extends to fights in other locations, as UKAD’s jurisdiction is confined to the UK. As the Conor Benn (21-0, 14 KO’s) case with the WBC has proven, it is still possible for a fighter to resume their boxing career even if they were suspended or banned from fighting in their home country/region.
The ban, which began in July 2022, is set to last until July 2026. With one year already served, Tete faces another three years of suspension before he can resume his career.
A veteran in the boxing world at 33, Tete achieved recognition by securing world titles in two different weight divisions: super flyweight and bantamweight. Following his loss as the WBO bantamweight champion in 2019, he took a hiatus of more than two years before making a comeback with a knockout victory in December 2021.
In July 2022, Tete’s win against Cunningham earned him several regional titles and appeared to pave the way for another shot at a world title. However, the UKAD ban has cast a shadow over his career. The outcome of the fight against Jason Cunningham, in which Tete failed the drug test, is likely to be overturned. Curiously, despite the year-long ban, the match result has not been officially declared a no-contest.
Zolani Tete was associated with Queensberry Promotions, a boxing promotion headed by Frank Warren, prior to his ban by UKAD.
