Canelo Alvarez: It Was 'My Mistake' Eating Meat in Mexico; No Longer Eats Beef

Canelo Alvarez insists eating meat in his native Mexico is why he tested positive for clenbuterol and called it his "mistake" for not being more careful.

"I don't want to get anyone else involved. This was my mistake for not reading up on the risks, not researching more, more on the subject, on what's going on with the beef in Mexico," Alvarez said, per Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com.

"But I didn't do anything intentionally," he continued, while also granting he no longer eats beef anywhere. "I didn't do anything to try to enhance my performance. I would never do anything like that. It was a mistake and nothing more, not educating myself about this problem in Mexico. It was my mistake, and I won't repeat it."

Shelburne noted farmers in Mexico often include the substance Alvarez tested positive for in meat, but the boxer’s May 5 bout with Gennady Golovkin was canceled because of it. They will square off again Sept. 15 instead.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Alvarez for six months because of his two failed drug tests, which directly impact Golovkin as well.

Instead of the scheduled rematch with Alvarez, Golovkin fought Vanes Martirosyan on May 5 and knocked him out in the second round. However, the International Boxing Federation stripped Golovkin of his middleweight title, per Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports.

Mannix provided the reasoning for the title stripping, noting the bout was deemed "an unsanctioned contest."

While Martirosyan didn't provide much of a challenge, Golovkin will be tested against Alvarez after the two fought to a controversial draw in the first meeting. It appeared as if Golovkin was the superior fighter for more than half of the fight, but the judges ultimately disagreed.

Alvarez is 49-1-2 with 34 knockouts, while Golovkin is 38-0-1 with 34 knockouts.