Tyson Fury: Ukad set to open new investigation into farmer's meat claims

Fury became world champion for the second time by beating Deontay Wilder in February

UK Anti-Doping is set to investigate a farmer's claim he was told to lie in support of a high-profile case involving world champion Tyson Fury.

Fury and his cousin Hughie tested positive for a banned steroid in February 2015, blaming the result on eating uncastrated wild boar.

A farmer said he was offered £25,000 to say he sold the meat to 'Team Fury' - but promoter Frank Warren called this claim "a load of rubbish".

Ukad has refused to comment.

Being found guilty of tampering with the first investigation, which followed those positive tests, could result in an eight-year suspension.

Lancashire-based farmer Martin Carefoot provided evidence to a Ukad investigation stating he had supplied the team with wild boar - but in a newspaper interview, now says he never actually did so.

The Mail on Sunday reports that he says he was asked for assistance by a friend who was familiar with 'Team Fury', but that he never received the promised payment.

But boxing promoter Warren, who works with world heavyweight champion Fury now but did not at the time, said: "The farmer making these outrageous allegations sent me a letter last October, full of errors and basically telling me he had committed perjury by signing statements under oath and lying.

"When I called him, he asked for money. I told him to clear off and get in contact with Ukad. He chose not to speak to Ukad but instead speak to a newspaper.

"How anybody can take this man seriously is beyond belief. Tyson has never met this man in his life. What a load of rubbish. We'll leave this with Ukad to look into and don't expect it to go any further.

"It looks like while the football season has been paused, there's nothing to write about and silly season has instead commenced."

Both Fury and his cousin Hughie, a British heavyweight fighter, returned positive tests for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone in February 2015 but were not charged by Ukad until June 2016. Between the two dates, Tyson Fury won the WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight titles from Wladimir Klitschko.

Both fighters insisted they "never knowingly or deliberately committed a violation" and were allowed to resume their boxing careers from December 2017 after accepting backdated two-year doping bans.

The drawn-out case drew scrutiny as before its conclusion Ukad feared becoming insolvent or requiring a government bailout over the dispute.

Tyson Fury suffered with depression and abused both drugs and alcohol during a 30-month spell away from boxing after his win over Klitschko.

Since his return in June 2018, he has been held up as an inspiration as a result of his dramatic weight loss and a run of wins that culminated in him becoming world champion for the second time by beating Deontay Wilder in February to claim the WBC belt.

On Sunday, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said the farmer's claims would "not impact" Fury's position as champion.

Sulaiman told The Sun: "Personally, I prefer to believe Tyson Fury ahead of someone who has already admitted to lying in legal documents for financial gain."

BBC Sport has contacted Fury's management team MTK Global for comment.