British super-bantamweight Dennis McCann has been pulled from his scheduled fight against Peter McGrail on the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk 2 undercard following an adverse finding in his anti-doping test.
The bout was set to be one of five undercard fights at the highly anticipated heavyweight championship rematch in Saudi Arabia.
McCann’s removal from the card was confirmed by both event organisers and his promoter, Queensberry.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, issued a statement on Friday evening addressing the situation.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight in their rematch next Saturday
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“The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) has today informed all relevant parties that Dennis McCann has returned an adverse finding following an anti-doping test conducted in advance of his upcoming bout,” he said.
The boxing chief added that McCann’s scheduled fight would not proceed while “the relevant parties investigate the matter further.”
McCann, aged just 23, currently holds multiple prestigious titles in the super-bantamweight division.
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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk undercard star Dennis McCann has failed a drugs test
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The British fighter is the reigning European super-bantamweight champion, having secured the title in July.
He has also achieved notable success domestically, holding both the British and Commonwealth championships.
The heavyweight championship rematch between Fury and Usyk is scheduled for Saturday, December 21, in Riyadh.
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Fury has made it clear he plans to adopt a more aggressive approach in the second bout, having suffered the first defeat of his professional career to the same opponent earlier in the year.
“I’ve always been a bad man my whole life, and I’m still one today at nearly 40 years old, a few years off 40,” said the former unified heavyweight champion.
“I’m going to go in there with destroy mode. Last time I went to box him, I was being cautious.”
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Fury emphasised his determination to secure a decisive victory in the upcoming rematch.
“Anybody can get caught as we have seen in a lot of these heavyweight fights,” he said.
“But this time I’m not going for a points decision. I’m going to knock that motherf****r out.”
Tyson Fury has revealed he’s targeting a knockout win over Oleksandr Usyk as their rematch creeps closer
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The heavyweight champion’s comments signal a clear shift from his previous tactical approach against Usyk but whether it’s enough for him to secure glory remains to be seen.
Fury has, however, previously insisted he relishes being the underdog.
The Briton has overcome numerous adversities throughout his career and, if he’s able to beat Usyk, will silence his critics once and for all.
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