By Vadim Pushkin 

According to former heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne, the small numerical figure involved in Alexander Povetkin's failed test is irrelevant.

Povetkin was originally scheduled to face Stiverne for the interim-WBC heavyweight title, but everything fell apart on the morning of the fight after Povetkin’s drug test from December 6th came back positive for Ostarine. The event still went forward with Povetkin knocking out very late replacement Johann Duhaupas in six rounds.

Povetkin and his team believe there some form of contamination either from food or a dietary supplement - and they feel confident in their position based on the minor trace of Ostarine - [0,00000000001g] - found in Povetkin's system.

Stiverne feels their argument has no merit based on the rules and regulations of the sport.

"It's like the Olympics. It does not matter how much of the banned substance is found in your body - even if there is at least ten zeros [in front of the ratio] - if the substance has appeared in your body then you're disqualified," Stiverne told BaylorIC TV.

Povetkin's team is still crying foul, after the boxer's random drug test from December 13th - taken four days before the fight and also handled by testing agency VADA - came back clean.

But, this is the second positive test for Povetkin in the last seven months. He failed a drug test in the lead-up to his scheduled title fight with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder back in May. That fight was also canceled. The last time he tested positive was for meldonium, which became a banned substance in January of this year. Povetkin admitted to taking the drug last year when it was legal. In that matter, the WBC conducted an investigation and cleared him of any wrongdoing. The WBC has an ongoing investigation on what transpired.