Jose Felix Soto has been banned for five years having tested positive for two banned steroids for his fight with Lewis Crocker in Belfast.
They boxed in Ulster Hall on January 27, with Crocker dropping the Mexican twice and stopping him in the fifth round.
Felix caused one of the shocks of 2023 when, on May 20, he upset 16-0 Gary Cully at Dublin’s 3Arena. Previously he had lost 10-round decisions to Sandor Martin and Tyrone McKenna.
The Mexican junior welterweight has been banned from all World Anti-Doping Code-compliant sports after testing positive for metabolites of the performance enhancing steroid stanozolol and metandienone (sold under the brand name Dianabol), which are both prohibited.
The substances were found in his post-fight sample that was taken in the early hours of the 28th.
Felix was informed about the findings by UKAD (UK-anti-doping) and he claimed he had taken medicine to treat an Achilles injury and gave UKA a copy of the prescription, which listed stanozolol and Metandiestenalona, among other medications.
UKAD offered Felix the chance to apply for a therapeutic use exemption after the fact, but he did not submit the necessary documentation. UKAD charged him with Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and insisted a five-year period of ineligibility should apply.
That two anabolic steroids were detected, read a UKAD statement, “justified an increase to the standard period of Ineligibility that would otherwise apply.”
His ban began on April 24, 2024.
The 33-year-old Felix is 41-7-1 (31 KOs) and boxed in an eight-rounder, winning a decision, against Hector Astorga Jimenez in Los Mochis, Mexico on July 25 this year.
