Khan hit with two-year ban for anti-doping violation

The Olympic silver medallist and former unified light-welterweight champ was defeated by Brook in the sixth round at Manchester Arena last February.

Khan subsequently hung up his gloves three months later at the age of 35.

Reacting to the verdict, he insisted on Sky News he did not know how ostarine — designed to promote muscle building — had entered his system.

He said: “I’ve never cheated. I’m a retired fighter. At the same time, you can see by my performance against Kell wasn’t the best, I lost the fight.

“If I went in there and knocked Kell out it’s different. I’ve never cheated in my life. I’m the one that wanted testing on that fight.

“Also, the amount that was in my system could have been by shaking people’s hands. I don’t know the drug that was in my system.

“I’ve got a two-year ban now, which is quite strange and funny when I’ve already retired. I’ve no comeback plans at all.”

Khan, 36, made his pro debut in July 2005, became Commonwealth lightweight champion in 2007 and defeated Andreas Kotelnik in July 2009 to claim the WBA world light-welterweight title

He unified that championship and the IBF gold with a win over Zab Judah in 2011 but lost his next fight to Lamont Peterson, who would subsequently test positive for synthetic testosterone.

The Bolton native was first notified of his own positive result in April 2022 and given a provisional suspension, with charges following in July.

Though he accepted them, Khan claimed his ingestion of ostarine had been unintentional, with his case referred to an independent panel.

Following the hearing on January 24 this year, the National Anti-Doping Panel issued their ruling on February 21, accepting Khan’s submission he had not taken the substance intentionally but imposing the ban on the basis of strict liability.

Khan’s ban, which also sees the result against Brook disqualified, commenced on April 6, 2022 and expires on April 5, 2024.