Mauricio Lara Receives Two-Year Doping Ban Following Leigh Wood Bout

Former featherweight world champion Mauricio Lara has been handed a two-year ban by UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) for an anti-doping violation. The Mexican boxer tested positive for the banned substance betamethasone on May 28, 2023, after his loss to Nottingham's Leigh Wood in Manchester.

Betamethasone, a corticosteroid, is prohibited in competition by Ukad. Lara, 27, attributed the positive test to an injection he received in his shoulder on May 12, 2023, in preparation for the Wood bout. However, Ukad stated that this explanation did not account for how the substance entered his system. Lara provided no further clarification for the failed drug test.

The ban has been backdated to start from March 7, 2024, and will conclude on March 6, 2026. Since his loss to Wood, Lara has fought once, drawing with Daniel Lugo in Mexico in February 2024.

Lara gained significant attention in 2021 when he defeated Leeds star Josh Warrington in a major upset. He went on to claim the WBA featherweight title from Wood in February 2023. However, Wood, 36, reclaimed the title in their rematch later that year.

This incident marks a significant setback for Lara's career, as he will be unable to compete in the ring for the next two years. The boxing community will be watching closely to see how he rebounds from this suspension.