BRITISH boxing chief Robert Smith has confirmed that the activities of Dr Usman Sajjad, who has previously worked with Tyson Fury and Conor Benn, are being placed under the microscope.
The controversial GP raised eyebrows in the wake of Benn’s two adverse findings back in 2022, featuring on a podcast in which he said, “you would have to be an idiot to fail a drug test in England,” doing the rounds online.
Dr Sajjad then went on to explain how the use of ‘microdosing’ techniques and fast-acting growth hormones can allow fighters to evade random drug testing.
Those comments are particularly concerning when considering that Fury – who has tested positive for nandrolone – and Benn – who has tested positive for clomifene – are among those who have openly worked with the medical expert in recent years.
Dr Sajjad’s activities surfaced again more recently, too, when a photo of him standing alongside Dennis McCann began to circulate on social media soon after ‘The Menace’ was removed from his clash with Peter McGrail.
The two British super-bantamweights were slated to square off on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 last month, before McCann returned an adverse analytical finding in a pre-fight Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) test. McCann was subsequently removed from the card, with Rhys Edwards stepping in against McGrail on short notice.
In response to the 24-year-old’s situation, British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) General Secretary Smith told The Times that Dr Sajjad’s activities will be closely monitored going forward.
“The board is aware of the situation and is taking the matter very seriously and can confirm the activities of Dr. Usman Sajjad are being carefully considered,” Smith said.
The Times’ report also alleges McCann had tested positive for the banned substances drostanolone and trenbolone, two anabolic-androgenic steroids, ahead of his cancelled bout with McGrail.
