Julio Cesar Martinez has been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) after a banned substance was discovered following testing surrounding his March 30 victory over Angelino Cordova, The Ring has reported.
The testing was carried out by the NSAC therefore all presiding offices under the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) are obligated to follow the commission’s ruling. In short, Martinez cannot fight in America until the NSAC permit him to do so. A tentative hearing is scheduled for June 24, The Ring have been told.
It was reported that a collected sample “produced findings of S5 Diuretics and other masking agents.”
Martinez voiced his intention to move to junior bantamweight after he defended his WBC flyweight title with a majority decision victory over Cordova on the T-Mobile Arena show in Las Vegas.
Erick Garcia Benitez, another boxer on the PBC event which was headlined by Sebastian Fundora’s upset win over Tim Tszyu, also reportedly tested positive for S5 Diuretics. He lost a four-round decision to Justin Vitoria.
Martinez tested positive for Clenbuterol during random testing as part of the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program in 2019 but the sanctioning body cleared the Mexican because the levels in his system could have been explained by the consumption of contaminated meat.
Should Martinez fail to supply a satisfactory explanation for the findings, it is likely he will face a ban, a fine and his victory over Cordova will be changed to a No Contest.