Finnish boxer Robert Helenius, who has been provisionally suspended since August 2023 pending the outcome of his case, was handed a two-year ban by the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) on Friday after failing a post-fight drug test against Anthony Joshua.

Helenius tested positive for the banned substance clomifene after the heavyweight bout at the O2 Arena in London last August. Joshua won in front of his home crowd. The 40-year-old was knocked out in the seventh round by Joshua.

Helenius denied using performance-enhancing drugs. According to UKAD, he claimed that the presence of clomifene in his urine sample was due to the consumption of contaminated eggs and chicken. An accidental consumption that did not convince the agency, which decided to officially impose a two-year ban last Friday.

However, a statement from UKAD read: "Mr Helenius was unable to provide evidence that the eggs and chicken he consumed prior to the fight were from hens that had been given clomifene, following a request from UKAD".

"Mr Helenius therefore could not identify the source of clomifene in his sample and therefore could not reduce the applicable two-year ban," the statement concluded.

Clomifene, a female fertility drug, can be used to boost testosterone levels in men and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Having been suspended since then, Helenius will now be able to count the time he has spent out of competition while awaiting a decision, meaning his ban will end on 17 September 2025.

Helenius, nicknamed 'The Nordic Nightmare', was a last-minute replacement for Joshua's original opponent, Dillian Whyte. Whyte tested positive for a banned substance. Helenius appeared at the O2 to face Joshua, who, despite being the local favourite, was initially booed by the crowd. Helenius accepted the challenge to fight Joshua without much thought. 

Whyte's doping suspension, specifically for "adverse analytical findings" in his samples, came out of the blue. Despite this, Helenius, an experienced boxer, decided to take on Joshua, who was trying to overcome a rough patch in his career.

Helenius saved the event by preventing the fight from being cancelled after Whyte's sudden withdrawal. Joshua himself thanked Helenius for stepping in, although a perfect combination from the Briton sent him to the canvas in the seventh round. 

Since then, the long-awaited fight with his fellow countryman, Tyson Fury, has been eagerly anticipated. With Joshua now enjoying good results and regaining his status, and Fury losing his belts to Usyk in Saudi Arabia, anything is possible.