Alexander Volkanovski’s coach Joe Lopez has revealed information he heard about Islam Makhachev’s team requesting IVs prior to the title fight at UFC 284.
The Russian denied Volkanovski a triumph at home by winning the thrilling main event in Perth via unanimous decision 28-27, 28-27, 29-26.
The loss was the Australian’s first in the UFC after 22 consecutive wins, but Volkanovski and many fans and pundits insisted he should have won the decision.
After the fight, UFC New Zealand star Dan Hooker made bombastic claims that Makhachev had “cheated” by using an intravenous (IV) drip to help him rehydrate before the fight.
Joe Lopez, Volkanovski’s longtime coach, told Daily Mail Australia that he heard reports of IV bags being sent to the Russian team’s quarters before the superfight.
Alexander Volkanovski’s coach Joe Lopez has revealed information he heard about Islam Makhachev’s team requesting IVs prior to the title fight at UFC 284
The loss was the Australian’s first in the UFC after 22 consecutive wins, but Volkanovski and many fans and pundits insisted he should have been awarded the decision (Joe Lopez pictured with Alex Volkanovski)
‘I heard about the IV stuff before the fight,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
– We didn’t say anything to Alex. We kept it to ourselves. We knew it then.
‘There’s a smoking gun there. I find it strange, unless I’m there to testify, it’s hard for me to accuse anyone. What we do know, and it’s hearsay, (is that) there was an IV company that they approached and got to the hotel room.
‘They ordered IVs for that room. There are many stories.
The use of IV fluids to rehydrate was banned from the UFC in October 2015 following a decision by USADA.
That rule was loosened slightly in 2019, with dehydrated fighters now able to take 100ml or less of IVs every 12 hours, as long as it’s administered by a medical professional. Fighters may also exceed this limit if medically justified and determined by a physician.
Wrestlers are also required to obtain permission from a supervising athletic commission to use an IV before a fight and to disclose use afterward.
UFC fighters who flout the rules can be banned from the sport for up to two years.
Lopez believes the rules were probably broken, but it will be hard to prove.
‘Apparently when the girl arrived (from the IV delivery service) there they wanted her to leave the bags (and go away) but she said she couldn’t. She was against company policy,’ Lopez said.
UFC fighters who break the rules can be banned from the sport for up to two years (Islam Makhachev in the photo)
Lopez believes the rules were probably broken, but it will be hard to prove
‘They (the Russian team) said they wanted her to put some vitamins in the IV bag and she said, ‘I don’t know what this is, I’m not going to do that.’
‘Those guys are pretty intimidating and they started to jump on her and she called her boss and the boss said drop her bags and get out of there and that’s what they did.’
Lopez says he has no issues with using IVs to rehydrate – as long as the rules are clear and all fighters are on the same page. But he thinks some fighters are breaking the rules.
“I hope they put an end to it. Either everybody uses it or nobody uses it,’ he said.
‘I’ve gotten messages and things I’ve seen from certain people in the UFC saying that 90% of the UFC roster uses IVs and everything. I just answered, we’re probably the 10% that don’t.
‘Some of these guys take nine hours to get back to normal (after cutting weight). You get an IV and you’re back to normal in 20 minutes.
Lopez says the use of IVs is concerning because it can mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs
Islam Makhachev’s team has denied allegations that he used an IV before the fight, and no other evidence has surfaced to show the Russian did anything illegal while rehydrating.
‘The bad thing about them is that they use them to mask other things – diuretics or performance (performance-enhancing drugs) – it masks all of that, and that’s why they stopped.’
Islam Makhachev’s team has denied allegations that he used an IV before the fight, and no other evidence has surfaced to show the Russian did anything illegal while rehydrating himself the week of the fight.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to several IV delivery companies in Perth for comment, but at the time of publication none have information on the matter.
Despite losing the lightweight title in Perth, Volkanovski retained his No. 1 pound-for-pound ranking.