Uzbek boxer Lazizbek Mullojonov, who eliminated Italy’s Abbes Mouhiidine in the first round of the Paris 2024 Olympics thanks to a controversial decision and went on to win the gold medal, has tested positive for methasterone, an anabolic androgenic steroid. As a result, he has been provisionally suspended from competition.
The substance, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), was detected in a blood sample taken from the Asian athlete during an out-of-competition test on June 11, as announced by the International Testing Agency (ITA).
Mullojonov may appeal the suspension and has the right to request analysis of the B sample to verify whether a mistake was made.
The Uzbek boxer, who already has seven professional bouts under his belt (six of them won by knockout), had raised eyebrows with extreme fluctuations in body weight around the Olympic Games. In August 2023, during his last pro fight before the Games, he weighed in at 103.4 kg, but showed up at just 90 kg for the Olympic tournament a year later. By January 2025, his body mass had increased sharply again, and his return to the pro circuit saw him enter the ring at 108 kg. That number continued to rise in the following months, reaching 112.3 kg in his most recent fight on June 21.
We’ll see how Mullojonov and his team decide to respond and will keep you updated on any developments in this troubling case.