Islam Makhachev, the Russian UFC champion, successfully defended his lightweight title against pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski. Both the competitors went to war against each other for a full five rounds. However, Makhachev had done enough to get a nod from the judges.
The Russian champion won the fight via a unanimous decision. But the result of the fight left a foul taste in many fans and notable personalities in the sport. As many believed Volkanovski was the rightful winner of the bout. Makhachev had already received a sizeable amount of hate after his win. But now, he is facing more backlash from a fellow UFC fighter, Dan Hooker, for another serious reason.
Dan Hooker accused Islam Makhachev of IV infusion
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s prodigy successfully made weights for one of the biggest fights of his career at UFC 284. However, after his triumph, Dan Hooker, a UFC fighter and training partner of Volkanovski, accused Makhachev of using a banned substance before his fight.
Initially, Hooker posted random tweets accusing a UFC 284 fighter of using an intravenous drip, post the official UFC 284 weigh-ins. Later, he claimed that the fighter coming from outside of Australia hired a nurse to give him IVs to aid the rehydration process. He also posted a tweet jibing at USADA.
After a series of similar tweets, many fans were confused regarding the name of the fighter Hooker was accusing. However, ‘Hangman’ cleared the confusion, revealing it was Islam Makhachev, in reply to a fan. He also stated that Makhachev can’t win if he doesn’t cheat.
UFC prohibited the use of IVs following weight cuts while updating the rules in 2015. The fighter can be suspended for a period of two years if found guilty of wrongdoing. However, there hasn’t been any official statement regarding the subject from the UFC. Thus, it remains to be seen if any action on Hooker’s concern would be taken on or not.
Joe Rogan and Nate Diaz believe Volkanovski won the fight
As aforementioned, the outcome of the fight left many notable names of the sport unimpressed. UFC color commentator Joe Rogan and ex-welterweight star Nate Diaz are one of them.
Rogan wasn’t present for the pay-per-view. However, he went live on his YouTube channel live from his studio. The veteran commentator clearly stated that ‘The Great’ has done enough to win the fight regardless of the judges’ decision. Rogan was of the opinion that the Aussie won three rounds.
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Similarly, the former UFC fighter Nate Diaz also mocked Makhachev for his performance. He took a jibe at the Dagestani fighter on his official Twitter. Although Makhachev won his first title defense, he has garnered a lot of resentment from the UFC community. However, the decision is made.
What are your thoughts on Makhachev’s performance? What do you guys think about Hooker’s comments?
