Erislandy Lara is still moving forward by fighting on Saturday, just not in the significant three-belt title unification matchup that was originally scheduled.

Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) will defend his WBA middleweight belt against Johan Gonzalez (36-4, 33 KOs) it was announced Tuesday, hours after it was revealed that original opponent Janibek Alimkhanuly failed a VADA anti-doping test.

The Ring’s Mike Coppinger first reported Tuesday morning that Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs), the IBF and WBO middleweight champion, delivered an adverse analytical finding for the performance-enhancing drug Meldonium.

"I have always supported a clean sport. You know this well,” Alimkhanuly wrote on social media. "I was surprised when I read the news. VADA took the first test and said everything was clean. I have not made any changes to my vitamins. I don’t know what happened with the second test, so I requested a retest."

The WBO said an internal investigation is underway, and a show cause notice will be issued. Alimkhanuly has 10 days to request analysis of the "B" sample.

Meldonium, a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency since 2016, "demonstrates an increase in endurance performance of athletes, improved rehabilitation after exercise, protection against stress, and enhanced activations of central nervous system functions," according to a 2015 study.

Lara vs. Gonzalez will take place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, as part of a PBC on Prime Video PPV event headlined by the junior welterweight bout between Issac Cruz and Lamont Roach.

Lara, the sport’s oldest champion at 42, was looking to take on his most significant challenge in years by facing Alimkhanuly, The Ring’s No. 1 fighter at 160 pounds.

Lara has won his fair share of fights and also walked away with disputable decisions that were against him during his most notable matchups.

The highlights of Lara's resume include fights against: Paul Williams (highly disputable MD loss; 2011), Vanes Martirosyan (technical draw in 2012 and UD win in 2016), Austin Trout (UD win, 2013), Canelo Alvarez (SD loss; 2013), Jarrett Hurd (SD loss; 2018), Brian Castano (split draw; 2019) and Danny Garcia (KO 9; 2024).

During his middleweight run, Lara, a Cuban southpaw, has stoppage wins against lesser competition in Thomas LaManna, Gary O'Sullivan, Michael Zerafa and Garcia.

Gonzalez, a 34-year-old from Venezuela, is coming off a 10-round split decision win against Jarrett Hurd in March. He has alternated wins and losses over his last four fights, with the defeats coming against stiff competition Yoenis Tellez in October 2024 and Jesus Ramos in May 2024.