Boxing
Fighter who broke punch record fails drug test
Berlanga vs Sheeraz - July 12 DAZN PPV - Buy now
Matchroom Boxing has announced that Mexican flyweight Francisco Rodriguez failed a drugs test following his fight with Galal Yafai on DAZN last month.
Rodriguez beat the British Olympic gold medallist via unanimous decision to win the WBC interim title in Birmingham, knocking his opponent down in the final round as well as breaking the record for the most punches landed in a flyweight bout.
However, it has now been revealed that he returned an ‘adverse analytical finding’ after the bout.
A Matchroom statement on Wednesday morning read: “Today, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association informed Matchroom, the World Boxing Council and the British Boxing Board of Control that Francisco Rodriguez has returned an adverse analytical finding as part of a post-fight night anti-doping test following his bout with Galal Yafai on June 21st 2025. The matter will be handled by the BBBoC and WBC.”
Yafai’s loss to Rodriguez was the first of his professional career after he left the amateur ranks following his victory at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
He picked up the WBC Interim belt by beating fellow Brit Sunny Edwards last November with a sixth-round stoppage win.
The 32-year-old Brit was on the brink of a full world title shot prior to his loss to Rodriguez. It now remains to be seen whether the result of their fight is overturned following the Mexican’s positive test.
Rodriguez was previously a unified mini-flyweight world champion in 2014, and has since stepped up in weight to challenge for more world titles.
He was beaten by pound-for-pound star Junto Nakatani in 2022, but appeared to have put himself back in the title mix by beating Yafai.
The result of that contest could now be in doubt in the wake of his failed drugs test.
Watch Usyk vs Dubois 2 exclusively live on DAZN PPV, Saturday, July 19. Buy the PPV now here
