Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker was cleared by UK Anti-Doping after blaming a failed drug test on cocaine used by his nutritionist. The 34-year-old New Zealander returned an adverse analytical finding for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, during a routine test following his defeat to Fabio Wardley in London on October 25, 2025.
Parker, who denied taking any prohibited substance throughout the saga, announced on Wednesday that his suspension was lifted and that he would be "back in the ring soon". UK Anti-Doping officially confirmed on Thursday that Parker was free to resume his career after serving a three-month period of ineligibility.
UK Anti-Doping stated that Parker provided evidence on March 6, 2026, claiming the finding was caused by exposure to cocaine used by a nutritionist he hired for the bout. The nutritionist stated that he was a regular cocaine user who used the drug daily in the week leading up to the fight. Between April 14, 2026, and June 3, 2026, UK Anti-Doping requested further information from Parker, who stated that he first worked with the nutritionist in April 2023.
Scientific findings and suspension details
An independent scientific expert instructed by UK Anti-Doping concluded on June 15, 2026, that any ingestion of cocaine most likely took place out of competition before 11:59pm on October 24, 2025. UK Anti-Doping confirmed on June 22, 2026, that it was satisfied the ingestion occurred out of competition and in a context unrelated to sporting performance. Consequently, the organization lifted Parker's provisional suspension on that date and proposed a three-month period of ineligibility, which was deemed already served.
The scientific expert noted that Parker's exposure to cocaine may have occurred through contaminated food. "It is also my opinion that Mr Parker's administration of cocaine may have occurred orally from food contaminated with cocaine by his sports nutritionist who has admitted being a user of cocaine giving rise to the finding of benzoylecgonine in Mr Parker's urine Samples," the expert stated. However, the expert added: "I cannot exclude the possibility that the finding of benzoylecgonine has arisen as the tail end of the administration of a larger pharmacologically active dose of cocaine."
Disqualification and heavyweight career
Following the anti-doping ruling, the result of Parker's bout against Wardley at The O2 arena in London has been changed from an 11th-round stoppage defeat to a loss by disqualification. Parker had put his position as the mandatory challenger for undisputed WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk on the line by taking the fight against Wardley.
Before the loss to Wardley, Parker had won six consecutive fights after a loss to Joe Joyce in 2022. That run included wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, which earned him the WBO interim title. Parker, who lost his world title to Anthony Joshua in 2018, was also scheduled to challenge then-IBF champion Daniel Dubois in February, but Dubois withdrew due to illness days before the fight.
