David Morrell Jr’s opponent for Saturday, Imam Khataev, has been told by the International Testing Agency (ITA) that he tested positive for the banned substance clomifene from last year on April 9th. As such, Morrell vs. Khataev undercard light heavyweight fight is now in jeopardy for this Saturday, July 12th, at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.
Imam Khataev Drug Test Failure
Eye of the Tiger promotions spoke on behalf of the 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs), saying that Khataev, 30, didn’t “knowingly or intentionally” use any product that would lead to his violation of the anti-doping regulations. “The only possible explanation for this adverse analytical finding is food contamination,” Eye of the Tiger says.
Securing a Last-Minute Boxer
It doesn’t look good for Morrell-Khataev for Saturday in light of this breaking news. If Khataev is off, it’s questionable whether a late replacement can be found in time for Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) to remain on Saturday’s card. Losing the talented Cuban from the card would be a major loss, as he was one of the bright spots for the undercard.
Surely, there’s got to be someone hungry and ambitious enough to step in to fight Morrell on late notice. If it could be done with Shakur Stevenson’s last fight, with a simple, everyday, ordinary British electrician, Josh Padley, dug up on less than a week’s notice last February, it can be done for Morrell if Turki Alalshikh is willing to go in that direction. Having Morrell on the undercard will help motivate the fence sitters, who are still debating whether to purchase this card on DAZN PPV for the $59.99.
Khataev Doping Allegations Explained
“Imam did not knowingly or intentionally take anything that would violate any anti-doping regulations. This is all the more the case in light of the numerous anti-doping tests carried out since April 2024, all of which have proved negative. Imam will not be making any further comment on the matter,” said Eye of the Tiger promotions on behalf of Imam Khataev.
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