During his most recent title defence against Alexander Volkanovski, Islam Makhachev, the current lightweight UFC champion, is being accused of cheating. According to the charges, Makhachev might have engaged in illegal activity prior to the fight.
A fellow UFC lightweight competitor named Dan Hooker accused Islam Makhachev of using illicit intravenous (IV) treatment to rehydrate prior to his first title defence on social media. Because that IV treatment is forbidden by the UFC’s anti-doping policy, Hooker’s claims have caused debate within the MMA world.
According to MMAfighting.com, the athletic commission in charge of overseeing UFC 284 has declared that it has not discovered any proof to back up claims that competitors, most notably Islam Makhachev, violated the rules by utilising unapproved intravenous (IV) therapy. Anybody with information to the contrary is encouraged to come forward and present proof, according to the commission’s statement.
Bob Kucera, the Chairperson of the Western Australia Combat Sports Commission, addressed the current controversy in a statement that he drafted and provided to MMA Fighting.
“The Western Australian Combat Sport Commission does not support any sort of cheating in the combat sports business.”
Many sports, like the UFC, which has outlawed the use of IV treatment, have expressed grave concerns about the fairness and safety of the practise of using it to rehydrate athletes. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), which is in charge of the UFC’s anti-doping programme, has put in place strict rules to stop athletes from taking illegal drugs. These rules state that any fighter who uses IV treatment or other prohibited substances may be subject to a lengthy suspension of up to two years.
Islam Makhachev’s camp has denied allegations made by Dan Hooker
The UFC lightweight champion’s team has replied to Dan Hooker’s claims that Islam Makhachev utilised an unlawful IV drip to rehydrate during the weigh-in for his matchup with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. The team vehemently refutes these claims, claiming that Makhachev did not use any illegal methods or substances to get ready for the bout.
The Makhachev team has refuted claims that their athlete used an IV drip to rehydrate prior to the fight to obtain an unfair advantage over his rival. The UFC’s anti-doping programme is overseen by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, and the team has made clear that Makhachev has always complied with its rules (USADA). They are convinced that any examination will validate Makhachev’s adherence to the laws and show that he participated honestly and in accordance with the rules set forth by the sport.