Midnight Roundup! Islam Makhachev addresses staph infection rumors ahead of UFC 302, Ryan Garcia's legal team issues statement on failed drug test, and more

Islam Makhachev recently addressed rumors of him suffering from a staph infection just days before his title fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. Elsewhere, Ryan Garcia issued a new statement regarding his failed drug test and revealed that tainted supplements were responsible for his testing positive for the banned substance.

Catch up on all the latest developments in the world of combat sports with Sportskeeda MMA's Midnight Roundup.

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Islam Makhachev dismisses staph infection rumors before UFC 302 title clash

Islam Makhachev recently addressed rumors about him potentially suffering from a staph infection ahead of his title fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. The reigning lightweight champion rubbished such speculations and revealed he was completely healthy.

For context, fans wondered if the Dagestani grappling savant suffered from a staph infection after he was spotted with discolored skin on his leg during a pre-fight official kit photoshoot.

During the pre-fight press conference, Makhachev addressed these rumors and said:

"Don’t worry guys, I had a very well training camp. Nothing is bothering me, and I’ll be 100 percent on Saturday night."

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Ryan Garcia's legal team issues statement on tainted supplements

Ryan Garcia may be innocent after all. The boxing superstar's legal team recently issued a statement claiming contaminated supplements were responsible for their client testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine after his upset win against Devin Haney on April 20.

Garcia reportedly submitted a urine sample for drug testing on April 19, the day before the Haney fight, and one on the day of the fight. 'KingRy' failed both tests and could have his win over Haney overturned to a No-Contest (NC) result. However, he's consistently maintained his innocence and dismissed the idea that he is an unclean fighter.

In a recent statement released to MMA Fighting, Garcia's legal team claimed that two previously VADA-declared supplements turned out to be contaminated and "returned positive" after testing. It read:

"The test results from samples of two supplements declared by Ryan Garcia on VADA Doping Control Forms, signed on April 19th and 20th, have returned positive for Ostarine contamination. This confirms what we have consistently maintained: Ryan was a victim of supplement contamination and has never intentionally used any banned or performance-enhancing substances."

It continued:

"Additionally, multiple negative tests leading up to his fight against Haney further affirm his clean record. The ultra-low levels of Ostarine detected in his samples, in the billionth of a gram range, along with his clean hair sample, prove contamination rather than intentional ingestion. The recent test results reiterate this."

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Michael Chandler predicts Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

Michael Chandler recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier title clash at UFC 302 this weekend. Chandler backed Makhachev to get his hand raised and predicted a finish for the Dagestani grappling savant over Poirier.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, 'Iron' was asked for his thoughts on the upcoming lightweight title fight. Revealing that he was hoping for Justin Gaethje to get the title shot instead, he said:

"The only thing he [Poirier] hasn't done yet is wear the UFC gold, and he wants to. I'm glad he got his shot. Honestly, I was hoping Gaethje was going to win and Gaethje was going to get the shot because I thought Gaethje deserved it more, obviously. I always wanted to see Gaethje wear gold."

Chandler continued:

"If it wasn't me, I wanted to see Gaethje wear gold. Do I give [Poirier] a chance? Absolutely. [But] I think Islam's going to have his number. I think Islam is just better in every area. I think Islam finishes him, honestly."

Dustin Poirier opens up about regretting his performance against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269

Dustin Poirier is set to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in his third attempt to win undisputed UFC gold. Poirier lost title fights against Khabib Nurmagomedov in Sept. 2019 and Charles Oliveira in Dec. 2021. In a recent interview, the Louisiana native expressed his remorse about losing to 'Do Bronx' at UFC 269.

Oliveira notably defeated Poirier via third-round submission to defend the UFC lightweight championship. Speaking to ESPN MMA, 'The Diamond' stated that he could've prepared better and done many things differently for the Oliveira challenge. He said:

"The Khabib fight, not really. Obviously, I wish I would have performed better and won. But I was just outmatched, outgunned. I'm comfortable with saying that. I just wasn't prepared the way I needed to be for what he was bringing."

Poirier continued:

"In the Charles fight, there are more things that I look back at and say, 'Damn, I shouldn't have done that... I wish that didn't happen.' I felt that the first time I fought Conor [at UFC 178], as well. I think I'm past that, the aura of people... fighting not only the person but the crowd, the media, the critics."

Catch Dustin Poirier's comments below (6:45):

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Dillon Danis reacts to Donald Trump being found guilty on all counts in hush-money case

Dillon Danis recently shared his reaction to Donald Trump being found guilty of all felony charges related to his faking business record to pay hush money to an individual he was personally involved with. Intriguingly, it's the first time a serving or former POTUS has been convicted of a crime.

Reacting to the news, Danis took to social media to share his reaction. The controversial jiu-jitsu wizard opined that the verdict would strengthen Trump's presidential bid and backed the 77-year-old to win the next election. In an post on X, he wrote:

"He just won the election."