Islam Makhachev's manager addresses IV allegations, claims Alexander Volkanovski was heavier on fight night

Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev's manager addresses IV allegations [Images via The Schmo | YouTube and Getty]

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev was accused of utilizing the IV treatment to rehydrate in the aftermath of his weigh-in for his UFC 284 title defense against Alexander Volkanovski.

After Makhachev defeated featherweight champion Volkanovski via unanimous decision in the main event of the pay-per-view event in Perth, Australia, fellow lightweight and Volkanovski's teammate Dan Hooker tweeted a series of accusations accusing the Dagestani of cheating to rehydrate by using an IV.

Jeff Novitzky, Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the UFC, has stated that the Australian commission found no credible evidence of violating the rules, echoing the denials of Makhachev and his team.

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The allegations prompted discussions across the MMA community, prompting the UFC to issue a warning to its athletes on the legal and illegal use of intravenous fluids in the lead-up to the fight.

Islam Makhachev's manager Ali Abelaziz has now turned the allegations towards Volkanovski, claiming that the Australian was heavier than the UFC lightweight champion on fight night. In a recent interview with The Schmo, Abdelaziz stated:

"Don't try to point fingers. In reality, and I got this from the UFC.... [On] Fight night, Alexander Volkanovski weighed two pounds heavier than Islam Makhachev. You want to talk about IVs? He weighed two pounds heavier than Islam. Islam didn't get any IVs in Australia."

Catch Ali Abdelaziz's comments below (14:00):

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What did Alexander Volkanovski say about teammate Dan Hooker's IV allegations against Islam Makhachev?

Dan Hooker accused Islam Makhachev of cheating before his lightweight championship fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. The lightweight contender claimed that the Dagestani had utilized an IV treatment to rehydrate after the weigh-ins.

Alexander Volkanovski backed up his teammate's claim in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. The reigning featherweight champion said:

"I ended up weighing myself. I think I was like 76 [or] 77 kilograms so maybe 170 or just under 170 [pounds]... What would 80 [or] 81 kilograms? 178 or 180 [pounds], I think [Islam Makhachev] would have been. I've heard he gets up to 180, like 83 kilograms closely. You fill up pretty quick on the IV's and stuff like that... Maybe that's a little shot at him."

Catch Alexander Volkanovski's comments below:

Volkanovski has expressed his desire for a rematch with Makhachev. Before that happens, 'The Great' reportedly has his next assignment booked against interim 145-pound champion Yair Rodriguez for a title unification bout at UFC 290 in July.

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Edited by C. Naik
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