The bad news for Nathan Heaney is that he still only has one win over his last four starts.
The good news is that he now has one fewer defeat over that same period.
A previously suffered a seventh-round, technical knockout to France’s Sofiane Khati was since overturned and changed to a No-Contest by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). A post-fight drug testing sample surrounding their February 8 middleweight clash revealed the presence of carboxy-THC, a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) metabolite found in cannabis.
The substance in question is classified as a Cannabinoid under section S8 of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List and prohibited In-Competition only – the 24-hour period covering the fight.
Khati’s test showed the presence of carboxy-THC “at an estimated concentration of 327 ng/mL” according to a United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) ruling obtained by BoxingScene.
The ruling stipulated that Khati, 17-5 (6 KOs; 1 No Contest) was notified via letter of the adverse finding on March 17, five weeks after their bout at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Khati was compliant during the investigation and acknowledged that he “ingested 1g of cannabis flower using a vaporizer, as well as a few drops of cannabis oil” on February 5, three days before the fight.
Additionally, Khati disclosed – after the fact – that he ingested roughly the same amount of THC on four other occasions during the prior week.
UKAD’s investigation reached out to Professor David Cowan OBE, an independent scientific expert, to determine the validity of the boxer’s claims. A final report from Professor Cowan concluded that “it was more likely than not that Mr Khati’s last ingestion of THC took place Out-of-Competition.”
The distinction allowed Khati to avoid a long-term suspension. Instead, he was issued the equivalent of time served, since the investigation extended beyond the 90-day period under which was forbidden to compete.
The ruling also stipulated that Khati initially vowed to commit to a Substance of Abuse treatment program. However, subsequent attempts by UKAD officials to confirm with the boxer were unsuccessful. As a result, he was issued in wring the final decision of a three (3) month ineligibility period which expired on June 16.
For his part, Heaney was relieved to no longer carry a second consecutive knockout defeat on his record. However, the 36-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent was not exactly thrilled to have been kept out of the loop for the duration of the investigation.
“So it turns out my opponent from February failed his anti-doping drugs test that we both had to take immediately after our fight,” Heaney posted on Instagram. “The fight happened 6 months ago and I didn’t even know this violation had happened until last week.
“The result has now been declared a [No Contest] and has officially been overturned. On record, I’ve only ever lost once in 22 fights. Don’t do drugs, kids!”
Heaney, 19-1-1 (6 KOs) has since rebounded with an eight-round points win over Grant Dennis on July 26 in his Stoke-on-Trent hometown. The victory was his first since a November 2023 upset majority decision over former WBO middleweight title challenger Denzel Bentley at AO Arena in Manchester.
During that period, Heaney fought to a draw with Brad Pauls last March 16, and then suffered a 12th round stoppage defeat in their rematch last July 20. Both bouts took place at bp pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham.
Meanwhile, Khati is due to return to the ring on September 3 in Montreal, Canada. The fight will be his first since his nullified clash with Heaney, who himself would love nothing more to get back in the ring before year’s end.
“Now, let’s get one of the last ever massive away days date booked in, Frank Warren,” Heaney pleaded to his Hall-of-Fame promoter and head of Queensberry Promotions. “Let’s finally get a date secured @stokecity for the summer 2026!”
The bout was the second in recent days to see its original verdict overturned due to a post-fight drug test result.
As previously reported by BoxingScene, Connor Coyle tested positive for a banned substance surrounding his February 14 stalemate with Vito Mielnicki Jnr in New York City. Their ten-round draw was converted to a No Contest. Additionally, the unbeaten middleweight from Northern Ireland was suspended for nine months, fined $10,000 and forced to forfeit 20 percent of his fight night purse.
