Dan Hooker dropped a bomb last week when he accused UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev of using an IV ahead of his title defense win over Alexander Volkanovski. The claim sparked a dialogue amongst the media and fans about what the IV rules actually are and even led to the UFC releasing a “reminder” about these rules to all UFC fighters.
Now, Jeff Novitzky, Senior Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance for the UFC, has spoken out about the claims directly.
“I think the Australian commission put out a statement last night saying there’s no credible evidence of him violating any of their rules,” Novitzky said in a chat with UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald. “I think I’ll leave it at that.”
IV use isn’t outright banned as many had thought. They can be used with certain specifications. But in Australia, where their bout took place, the use of IV therapy is not permitted.
“They have a specific rule that IVs are banned completely for rehydration purposes,” he said. “So it wouldn’t matter the volume, it wouldn’t matter if there was a medical professional involved. Perth bans those IVs.”
So far, it looks like Makhachev is in the clear.
