Dan Hooker believes he’s being punished for accusing UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev of cheating against his teammate, Alexander Volkanovski.
Hooker publicly accused Makhachev of using intravenous (IV) therapy to rehydrate after weighing in for his title defense against featherweight champ Volkanovski at UFC 284, an illegal practice since the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was introduced as the UFC’s anti-doping partner in late 2015. Makhachev edged out Volkanovski in a hard-fought decision.
USADA bans IV infusions and/or injections, making an exception only for those who received an IV “in the course of hospital admissions, surgical procedures or clinical investigations.” Hooker said that, after making the hefty accusation, he’s had increased visits from USADA.
“I’ve had two or three knocks on my door at 6 a.m. by USADA, blood and piss over the last couple of weeks,” Hooker told The AllStar. “You think that’s a coincidence? That ain’t no coincidence, baby. On the same hand, you think I’m just gonna shut up and bite my tongue?
“Brother, I’ve almost had 50 knocks at my door, and that’s a stranger coming into your house, asking you to pull down your pants and stare at your d*ck. You think I’m gonna sit silent while other guys are skirting the rules when I got some stranger knocking on my door, asking me to pull my pants down? I ain’t playing this game.”
Although both Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) and his team denied Hooker’s allegations, and no evidence has suggested Makhachev broke any rules, Hooker insists that Makhachev cheated and that he has evidence.
Outside of getting extra visits from USADA, Hooker expects the UFC to start handing him tougher matchups moving forward.
“Do I think that the UFC is gonna punish me in some kind of way? Yeah, I’m sure they will,” Hooker said. “I’m sure they’ll give me tough matchups. Whoop-dee-doo. Ask the last 10 blokes I fought, they’re all tough matchups. So bring it on. You wanna give me tough matchups? Give me tough matchups. That’s what I’m here for. I’m not here for easy fights. I’m here for tough fights. … I’m not gonna blatantly see one of my teammates cheated out of a world title and not say anything.”
For Hooker, the bottom line is that he believes Makhachev’s alleged use of an IV factored into the outcome against Volkanovski.
“When it came down to it, that was an incredibly close contest,” Hooker said. “That could have been the difference in him having that moment. That could have been the difference in him being the greatest sporting accomplishment in Australian history, jumping on that cage with two belts on his shoulder. And for that guy to come down here to Australia and to steal that moment from Alex, I couldn’t bite my tongue, and I couldn’t sit on my hands. That pissed me off that he still has that title, because he’s a cheat. He cheated Alex out of that title, and he knows it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 284.
