By Igor Lazorin, tass

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, there are ongoing to discussions to have Johann Duhaupas (34-3, 21KOs) replace Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KO’s) on Saturday night at the Ekaterinburg Expo Center in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Stiverne was scheduled to face Alexander Povetkin (30-1-0, 22 KO’s) for the WBC interim-title - and the fight was also sanctioned as a final eliminator. The winner would have become the mandatory challenger to WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

But late Friday night, World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman revealed that Povetkin had tested positive for a banned substance.

Sulaiman announced on the social networks that he was informed by testing agency VADA, that Povetkin tested positive for ostarine, which is the same substance that Lucian Bute tested positive for in the aftermath of his draw against Badou Jack on April 30 at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C.

The WBC revealed to BoxingScene that Povetkin's positive reading stems from a test taken by VADA on December 6th.

The World Boxing Council issued a ruling late Friday night, that it was withdrawing it's sanction of the fight. Stiverne then confirmed that he was not going forward with the fight and planned to return back home to Las Vegas.

Duhaupas last fought in April when he scored a knockout of previously undefeated Robert Helenius, and he also gave a very game performance against Wilder last year before getting knocked out.

Back in May,Povetkin was scheduled to fight Wilder, but a few days before the fight was going to take place - it became known that Povetkin had tested positive for meldonium. Povetkin admitted to taking the drug last year, when it was still legal. The drug was officially listed as a "banned substance" in January of this year.

The WBC conducted a very long investigation, and they cleared Povetkin and approved him to take part in this eliminator with Stiverne. This time around Povetkin is going to face a very long suspension by the WBC if the sanctioning body finds him guilty of intentionally doping.