The Finish media reported the fighter is suffering from a hepatitis infection.

The Uzbek boxer’s club, Universum Box-Promotion, has presented the WBA with medical proof that Ruslan Chagaev (25-0, 17 KOs) does not have the infectious disease hepatitis, but only a hepatitis antigen, which is a substance that prompts the generation of antibodies and can cause an immune response.

The statement issued by the club says their top boxers blood values remain unchanged for many years and are safe.

They are below the international standards from which the hepatitis disease is considered infectious and correspond to those which Chagaev had in the first fight against Nikolay Valuev (50-1, 34 KOs) in April 2007, in which he deprived the Russian Giant of his WBA title, winning on points.

During the hearing, the Finnish Federation explained that they have not prohibited the fight, but wanted Nikolay Valuev’s team to agree to a passive protective inoculation within 24 hours of the fight. “A decision from Valuev was not communicated,” the statement said.

“We have the impression that someone here wants to get the world champion Ruslan Chagaev out of the way. Since 2006, nobody has been interested in this subject. Now, all of a sudden, the issue arises immediately before the fight. But we are still ready to box. Ruslan is and remains the WBA heavyweight world champion,” Dietmar Poszwa, a member of the Universum management, said.

This is the third time a bout between Chagaev and Valuev has been suspended. Initially, the fighters were supposed to face off in the ring on May 31, 2008, but their fight was postponed due to the Uzbek suffering from illness – only for Chagaev to then suffer a freak, severe injury while sparring, when he stumbled and completely tore his Achilles tendon.