Dillian Whyte was cleared to fight Oscar Rivas despite a positive doping test after an 11th-hour hearing.
Whyte was informed of the result on July 17, three days before he outpointed the Colombian to earn a heavyweight world title shot.
But just hours before he walked to the ring, Whyte appeared in front of a panel to explain the adverse finding.
The experts were convinced by his explanation to allow the Brit to fight without Rivas being informed.
But promoter Eddie Hearn insists Whyte was simply following protocol.
"If there’s an incident where a guy fails a drugs test and he is banned from the fight, of course you tell them," he told iFL TV.
"When a guy is cleared to fight, you’re not going to go to the other fighter on the Thursday or the Friday and say, ‘Just so you know, there was an issue with a test, he’s been cleared to fight, but just wanted to let you know'.
"If UKAD felt that he shouldn't be in the ring, or the independent panel felt he shouldn't have been able to fight, he wouldn’t have been able to fight. That was the process we went through.
"Contractually, I can't pull a fighter from a fight when both guys are cleared to fight, both are cleared by the commission, how can I physically do that?
"I understand some of the arguments from people, but we have to follow the rules of the governing bodies and the people making the decisions. All of those were followed.
"All of this stuff, if I was you I would wait for the facts and the truth before passing judgement."
It was reported on Thursday that Whyte tested positive for the metabolites epimethandienone and hydroxymethandienone which are produced when the body breaks down the banned steroid Dianabol.
