Tony Yoka withdraws from WBA heavyweight title fight with Gassiev

French heavyweight Tony Yoka has withdrawn from next week's scheduled WBA title fight against Murat Gassiev after suffering a back injury, sources told ESPN.

The bout was set to determine the WBA's "regular" heavyweight champion. No replacement opponent or rescheduled date has been announced.

Yoka's title shot delayed by injury

Yoka, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, was looking to claim his first major world title at heavyweight. The 32-year-old has been rebuilding his career after serving a one-year anti-doping suspension in 2019 for missing tests.

Gassiev, the former unified cruiserweight champion, moved up to heavyweight after his 2018 loss to Oleksandr Usyk. The Russian was hoping to capture a second world title in a different weight class.

Details on the severity of Yoka's back problem or a potential timeline for his return have not been disclosed.

Reported via:

• ESPN Boxing — Sources: Yoka (back) out of title bout vs. Gassiev