Alex Volkanovski's coach makes new claims in UFC 'cheating' storm

The developing feud between Australian UFC star Alex Volkanovski and recent opponent Islam Makhachev has taken another turn, with a former coach lending a degree of credibility to stunning claims of cheating against the Russian fighter. Makhachev defeated Volkanovski to retain the UFC's lightweight belt in a blockbuster fight in Perth earlier in February.

Volkanovski has already declared his desire for a rematch, taking to social media after the fight to proclaim he believed he had won at least three of the five rounds. UFC observers, including high profile commentator Joe Rogan, have suggested the Aussie was 'robbed' in his quest to rise to double champion status in the promotion.

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Amidst criticism of how the fight was scored, fellow Australian UFC fighter Dan Hooker lobbed a metaphorical hand grenade into the conversation when he outright accused Makhachev and his team of illegally using an IV drip to rehydrate after a weight cut. Labelling Makhachev a 'cheating dog' and accusing US authorities of doing 'nothing', Hooker provoked an angry response from Makhachev's team.

Makhachev himself said Hooker ought to be 'held accountable' for his statement, while the fighter's manager Rizvan Magomedov tweeted: “Jealous losers spreading lies, eventually this is all you can do.”

The allegation of using an IV drip to recover from a weight cut is a serious one, with the UFC banning the once common practice in 2015 following a USADA decision. Without a medical reason for using an IV drip, fighters can face bans of up to two years.

However former coach of Volkanovski and fellow UFC fighter Israel Adesanya, Eugene Bareman, says there are some circumstances in which the use of an IV is permitted. In an interview with the MMA Hour, Bareman said it was legal for no more than 100ml of fluid to be ingested via drip over a 12-hour period.

“We have reliable information to a point,” Bareman said. "The information falls short for several reasons, and one of them is that you can actually take an IV before a fight.

"It just has to be 100 ml of saline every 12 hours, in a 12-hour block. So what it has to come down to is whether you believe that people are going to take this saline, 100 ml, and then stop.”

Hooker is a teammate of Volkanovski at City Kickboxing. There has been no proof Makhachev cheated in his fight against Volkanvoski. Hooker has not backed-up his allegations, which has caused a stir in the UFC world.

Alex Volkanovski demands rematch after Islam Makhachev defeat

Volkanovski produced one of the all-time great performances to push lightweight champion Islam Makhachev all the way in their pound-for-pound showdown. Makhachev stuck to his game plan throughout the fight and while he said he was going to knock the Australian out, the Dagestan fighter consistently shot for the takedown in the first three rounds.

While very few fighters have been able to get back to their feet once Makhachev got his hands on them, Volkanovski showed why he is a crowd favourite. Volkanovski fought for every inch as he clawed his way back to his feet on numerous occasions. The Australian's famous gas tank also shone in the latter half of the fight.

The featherweight champion peppered Makhachev with right hands and dropped him in the fifth. With one minute left, Volkanovski pounced on Makhachev and let fly with ground and pound in an attempt to put him away.

Volkanovski finished the fresher of the two fighters as Makhachev's face was cut up and bruised. However, unfortunately for the home crowd, Makhachev's wrestling had proved just enough as he won an extremely close fight 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46.

“I showed why I am No.1,” Makhachev said as the crowd booed him. “He has good striking, good wrestling skills … but like it or not, I am the best fighter in the world.” Both fighters have agreed to a rematch if it is put to them by the UFC.

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