Boxing News
Ziyad Almaayouf’s draw changed to a win after Michal Bulik tests positive
Aug 21, 2024 • 4:29 PM ET
Ziyad Almaayouf’s Aug. 3 majority draw with Poland’s Michal Bulik has been changed to a disqualification win in the Saudi Arabian’s favor after banned substances were found in two separate samples from Bulik following VADA testing, according to the California State Athletic Commission.
The six-rounder took place on the Los Angeles undercard of Terence Crawford’s points win over Israil Madrimov.
BoxingScene has learned that the first positive test was conducted on July 23, and is therefore defined as “out of competition,” with the second test coming on the day of the fight. Both tests were positive for a pair of banned substances: Anastrozole (primarily used for hormone therapy but is known to also be used alongside anabolic steroids) and exogenous testosterone.
The result of the first test was reported to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) on Aug. 8, with the results of the second test reported to the commission on Aug. 15.
The unremarkable contest between Almaayouf, now 6-0 (1 KO), and Bulik, now 6-8 (2 KOs), was one of the preliminary bouts on the Crawford-Madrimov bill, which represented Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority’s first foray into staging boxing in America. The bout was originally ruled a draw after two judges scored the contest 57-57, with the third favoring Almaayouf by a 59-55 score.
According to documents seen by BoxingScene, the CSAC ruled that Bulik’s “use of PEDs unbalanced the playing field, and a no contest would not restore this balance or correct this unfairness to the clean athlete.”
Bulik has also been suspended by the commission for one year and fined $3,000. Bulik, a journeyman, had been due to return to competition on September 27 in a six-rounder against Jesse Brandon in London.
The overturning of results beyond a “no contest” is exceptionally rare in boxing.
In June, the New York State Athletic Commission changed Ryan Garcia’s April points win over Devin Haney to a no contest after Garcia twice tested positive for a banned substance. In the same month, Julio Cesar Martinez met a similar fate at the hands of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, when it was ruled he’d failed tests ahead of his March victory over Angelino Cordova.
Matt Christie, a lifelong fight fan, has worked in boxing for more than 20 years. He left Boxing News in 2024 after 14 years, nine of which were spent as editor-in-chief. Before that, he was the producer of weekly boxing show “KOTV.” Now the co-host of “The Opening Bell” podcast and regularly used in the UK as a pundit, Matt was named as the Specialist Correspondent of the Year at the prestigious Sports Journalism Awards in 2021, which was the seventh SJA Award he accepted during his stint in the hot seat at Boxing News. The following year, he was inducted into the British Boxing Hall of Fame. He is a member of the BWAA and has been honored several times in their annual writing awards.
