Did Islam Makhachev have an IV injection before his UFC 284 fight? Dan Hooker’s latest tweet sparks wide-spread speculation among MMA fans.
UFC fighter Dan Hooker has a great sense of humor. Previously his back-and-forth with Jon Jones on Twitter won him a lot of fans. However, his recent posts on Twitter have sent the fans into a frenzy. While fans are unsure about who Hooker is exactly referring to, the fighter seems to be convinced that someone from UFC 284 has used some PEDs ahead of the event.
Islam Makhachev defended his lightweight title against Alexander Volkanosvki in the UFC 284 main event. Coincidentally, Volkanovski and Hooker are teammates. They train together at the New Zealand-based MMA gym, City Kickboxing. So what did Hooker say exactly? His first tweet referred to a particular unnamed fighter who cheated.
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
He wrote, “Dumb c**t thinks he can fly to Australia hire a nurse to give him an I.V and we won’t find out. Cheating dog.”
In his second tweet, he shared a screenshot of a google search result. It looks like the Kiwi searched “ufc how long is the suspension for iv use.” He also trashed the USADA and wrote, “USADA doing f**k all.”
USADA doing fuck all. pic.twitter.com/ilJplHsh9h
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
It further proves that Dan may have some insider information about someone cheating at the PPV. Seeing that his teammate Alexander Volkanovski fought Islam Makhachev, fans are speculating if the fighter on Dan’s radar is Islam or not.
Here are some fan reactions to Dan Hooker’s tweets
https://twitter.com/Jonjones_fan/status/1625045542278516737?t=YCeoWzpR7stKtdyw5G9jgw&s=19
Keep crying islam subbed u in one round 😭
— Kam 🇱🇾 (@7vo13) February 13, 2023
Islam got busted for doping
— $ $ (@SugaSheikh) February 13, 2023
He’s basically saying Islam used a iv to hydrate faster after weigh in, don’t understand why that’s considered cheating
— matt (@Prodigyufc) February 13, 2023
https://twitter.com/auntycosmo/status/1625043300993449989?t=Uub7eC1JMvE9rgcSLP7sBg&s=19
This guy? pic.twitter.com/klbDHRpmGO
— m (@anthkingz) February 13, 2023
As of now, there are no official reports of any fighter from the card testing positive. Hence, some even questioned the legitimacy of Dan’s tweets. However, it does not seem to bother “The Hangman” as he wrote, “Prove me wrong. Bet cha can’t.
Prove me wrong. Bet cha can’t.
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
It is entirely possible that Dan Hooker was just having some fun at the expense of the fans. But, if there is any truth behind the claims, fans will definitely find out. If Islam or any fighter from the recently concluded PPV, tests positive for a banned substance, then USADA will put out a public statement to confirm it and reveal the appropriate punishment.
Islam is a cheat. https://t.co/bIdk13C26P
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
Hooker later quote-tweeted a fan who was wondering who he was referring to. The 33-year-old cleared up all the doubts and finally named Islam Makhachev as the fighter he was targeting.
Islam Makhachev had a difficult weight cut ahead of UFC 284
There is a reason why the fans are thinking that Islam Makhachev may be the fighter in question. It is well-documented that Islam Makhachev has a hard time cutting down to 155 lbs. He struggled to do so ahead of his maiden title shot against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 as well. Fans also saw how badly he was struggling to weigh in ahead of UFC 284 as well.
Hence an IV injection would have helped him to gain strength ahead of facing Volkanovski. In Australia, the hydration period is just about 24-26 hours. It is much less than the 30+ hour window that commissions in UAE and USA allow. So that was definitely a big disadvantage for Islam. Even Volkanovski stated after the fight that Makhachev was not a strong guy.
Seeing the way Volk knocked him down, it was apparent that Makhachev was having a hard time. So there is some valid cause for fan speculation on the matter. On top of that, Makhachev tested positive for meldonium in 2016. It is a prohibited substance and USADA handed him a ban. However, it was later revoked when the anti-doping agency found out that the presence of the substance was due to a treatment he went through.
What do you think of the matter? Do you think Dan Hooker was referring to Islam Makhachev? Let us know in the comments down below.