Russian light-heavyweight Imam Khataev has been ruled ineligible for two years after testing positive for the banned fertility drug Clomifene during an out-of-competition sample collected on 9 April 2024, the International Testing Agency said on Wednesday. The suspension runs to 25 June 2027 and annuls Khataev’s eligibility to compete in any sanctioned event during that period. Khataev, 10-0 (9 KOs), was due to face Cuba’s former super-middleweight title-holder David Morrell Jr. on Saturday, 12 July, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York on a DAZN-streamed bill financed by Turki Alalshikh. The New York State Athletic Commission has not yet issued a ruling on whether the contest can proceed with a replacement opponent or will be cancelled altogether. Eye of the Tiger Promotions, which represents Khataev, said the positive finding was ‘unexpected’ and argued that the trace amount detected could stem from food contamination after the fighter’s Ramadan fast. The promoter noted that Khataev has provided several negative samples since last April while enrolled in the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program, but acknowledged the ITA decision is final. Morrell, 11-1 (9 KOs), who is returning from a February points loss to WBC light-heavyweight champion David Benavidez, has yet to comment publicly on the likelihood of fighting this weekend. Should the bout be scrapped, the Brooklyn card would lose one of its main attractions just days before the opening bell.