USADA Gives Vague Response To Dan Hooker’s Claims That Islam Makhachev Used An IV at UFC 284 Weigh-Ins
UFC lightweight, Dan Hooker, caught many people’s attention on Monday after he sent off a series of tweets accusing lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, of cheating this past weekend at UFC 284.
Hooker who is teammates with UFC featherweight champ, Alexander Volkanovski, claims that Makhachev violated U.S. Anti-Doping Agency rules by using an illegal IV to rehydrate following weigh-ins for Saturday night’s event, a practice that has been banned by the agency since they were introduced as the UFC’s anti-doping partner in 2015. Makhachev’s co-manager, Rizvan Magomedov, vehemently denied Hooker’s accusations and gave MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn the following response to them.
“We all know this is completely BS,” Magomedov said. “The guy is a loser. He’s salty and just looking for attention, and that’s it.”
Fightful reached out to USADA for an official comment regarding this situation. Their Communications Coordinator, Tucker Pettigrew, provided us with the following statement, the same one they gave to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin yesterday.
Statement from USADA regarding the allegations from @danthehangman regarding Islam Makhachev at #UFC284 pic.twitter.com/tuH9guoRNo
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) February 13, 2023
When pressed for further information and more specifics regarding Hooker’s accusations against Makhachev, Pettigrew responded to Fightful with the following answer.
“Unfortunately, we cannot comment on whether an investigation is proceeding unless the athlete or the UFC released that information.”
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