Oscar Valdez A & B-Sample Tests Positive For Banned Stimulant Ahead Of September 10 WBC Title Defense

UPDATE (9/2/2021 5:38PM): Oscar Valdez’s B-sample tested positive for the banned substance phentermine. Ruling expected soon. More news to follow.

Oscar Valdez was scheduled to face Robson Conceição in nine days, but that’s been put on hold.

Valdez’s (29-0, 23 KOs) A-sample tested positive for phentermine, a central-nervous stimulant prohibited by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, ahead of his WBC 130-pound title defense against Conceição (16-0, 8 KOs) on September 10. The WBC is holding a video conference on Wednesday to decide the fate of the fight.

The virtual meeting will also include Pat English – Valdez’s attorney – with officials from Top Rank and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Athletic Commission. A ruling is expected after.

The test was done as part of the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program.

“I personally have given athletes phentermine… It is very powerful. It is like methamphetamine,” Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO, told ESPN.

“You know why it’s a performance-enhancing drug? Because it’s a central-nervous stimulant,” he added. “It accelerates your heart rate. It gives you energy. It gives you endurance. It gives you stamina. It makes it easier to breathe. Your training time to exhaustion would be much longer.”

Phentermine is considered a banned substance in competition, but not out of competition, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency. In-competition period starts at 11:59 p.m. the day before the fight and extends to post-fight testing.

VADA tests for all prohibited substances at all times.

Since Valdez’s A-sample failed, there’s still a B-sample he can choose to have opened following the ruling. B-samples may give different results, but it’s not guaranteed.

Valdez, the undefeated boxer, won the WBC junior lightweight title after stopping Miguel Berchelt in Round 10 with a knockout punch.

Conceição previously met Valdez in the gold medal match of the 2009 Pan American Games.