Dan Hooker accuses Islam Makhachev of cheating at UFC 284
The main event between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski was pretty drama free. Fans saw Makhachev take a decision victory over Volkanovski when all was said and done at the conclusion of UFC 284. Dan Hooker, teammate and fellow countryman of Alexander Volkanovski, lobbed accusations of IV usage at Makhachev following his win.
Dumb cunt thinks he can fly to Australia hire a nurse to give him an I.V and we won’t find out. Cheating dog.
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
Damning if true, IV usage was banned by the UFC and USADA in 2015 and face up to two year suspensions for violating the rule. In 2019, Paulo Costa was suspended six months for his usage of IV fluids going into his fights at UFC 212 and UFC 217. But that suspension was retroactive and Costa never really sat out any time.
Islam is a cheat. https://t.co/bIdk13C26P
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
Hooker went on to clarify and be less vague about his accusations specifically naming Makhachev as the cheat he’s referring to.
Islam Makhachev and Dan Hooker: A Storied Past
Of course, Islam Makhachev and Dan Hooker have a past with the two fighting in 2021 when Hooker stepped in to face the Dagestani on short notice. That fight was originally scheduled to be Makhachev and Rafael Dos Anjos. Dos Anjos pulled out due to an injury.
That fight saw Makhachev run through Hooker, beating him via kimura midway through the first round.
An IV is banned under USADA because of the rehydration effects it has and the ability for fighters to cut more weight. An IV provides a fighter with the opportunity to cut further weight and fight a weight class down to have a size advantage. With an IV, the cut reverses quickly and a fighter can bounce back. Further rehydration makes a fighter more fresh going into fight day.
Wether or not Makhachev gets disciplined or even investigated remains to be seen. While an IV would be a major factor and could overturn the fight result, going on what Dan Hooker, a disgruntled fighter with a loss to Makhachev, is suspect in its own right.
