- Dr Sajjad was previously investigated in 2022 over his links to Conor Benn
- Benn returned two failed tests indicating the presence of banned clomiphene
- 30 months after their cancelled bout Benn and Chris Eubank Jr will meet in April
Conor Benn’s former doctor Usman Sajjad is reportedly the subject of a six-month long investigation by the General Medical Council just one month after he was blacklisted by the British Boxing Board of Control, according to reports.
Mail Sport revealed exclusively in January that the organisation had informed fighters that they would not be accepting any medical documentation from Dr Sajjad, with the doctor under the microscope following his links to suspended super-bantamweight champion Dennis McCann.
In 2022, Dr Sajjad was investigated by the board at the height of Benn’s positive test saga, which saw the fighter fail two drugs tests for evidence of banned substance clomiphene ahead of his fight with Chris Eubank Jr.
Benn was later cleared of any wrongdoing by the National Anti-Doping Panel in November, but has yet to explain why the drug was found in his system after first blaming contaminated eggs for the failed tests.
30 months later, Benn is set to face off with Eubank Jr in April, and the latter taunted his rival during their launch press conference by slapping him across his right cheek with a raw egg in reference to the claim.
Last month, board general secretary Robert Smith reminded licence holders that Dr Sajjad is not registered with the governing body, and therefore could not submit medical papers on a fighter’s behalf.
Dr Usman Sajjad is reported the subject of an investigation by the General Medical Council
The doctor – who talked up past links to fighters including Tyson Fury – has been blacklisted by BBBC
Conor Benn returned two positive tests in 2022 but will fight Chris Eubank Jr in April in a long-awaited clash
But a bombshell report in the Times this week alleged that Dr Sajjad is facing further scrutiny, and as a result is being made to follow seven interim conditions relating to his ability to practice medicine.
Dr Sajjad, who is currently listed as a GP at NHS Churchtown Medical Centre in Southport, is thought to have been under investigation by the GMC since August of last year – six months before McCann returned his positive test for steroids in December.
A GMC spokesperson told the publication: ‘Dr Usman Sajjad is currently registered with a licence to practise but with interim conditions on his registration pending the conclusion of a GMC investigation.
‘Dr Sajjad’s interim conditions include: he must not prescribe any drugs for himself, or anyone with whom he has a close personal relationship; he must get the approval of the GMC before starting work in a non-NHS post or setting; and he must be supervised in all of his posts by a clinical supervisor.
The GMC added that they were keen to conclude the investigation ‘as soon as possible’.
The Times also reported that alongside his NHS position, Dr Sajjad also worked for a testosterone replacement therapy company based in the UK and Dubai, with onee former client with low testosterone alleging that Dr Sajjad had prescribed them clomiphene in 2022.
Dr Sajjad did not respond to the Times’ request for comment.
It is understood that Dr Sajjad voluntarily gave up BBBC registration in 2022 around the time that his links to Benn were being monitored. That registration had enabled him to work as a doctor at tournaments.
Benn has previously stated that his first positive test, in July 2022, took place before his first meeting with Dr Sajjad, which happened in August. Benn later returned his second positive test in September.
While there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Dr Sajjad, he has maintained his connections to boxing and lists clients including Tyson Fury in his Instagram bio.
In 2022, Dr Sajjad’s lawyer Scott Ewing told Mail Sport that his client has never had any involvement in the supply of performance-enhancing drugs in sport.
During a podcast recorded before he began working with Benn, Dr Sajjad made the startling claim that ‘80 to 90 per cent’ of elite boxers are taking drugs, before describing hypothetically how a fighter could take fast-acting testosterone after the testing window closes at 11pm each day and be clear of their system before it re-opens in the morning.
