MMA News Roundup: Islam Makhachev accused of USADA violation, Alex Volkanovski retains No. 1 UFC P4P spot, Conor McGregor's first statement since fight announcement

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.

In today's issue, we talk about the massive accusations leveled against Islam Makhachev, Conor McGregor addressing his fight against Michael Chandler for the first time in public, and more.

#3. Did Islam Makhachev cheat at UFC 284?

A day after Islam Makhachev defeated the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, allegations that he used an IV infusion were brought against him by fellow lightweight Dan Hooker.

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.

Read all the tweets here.

'The Hangman' is close friends with and a teammate of Alexander Volkanovski, just like the rest of the City Kickboxing team. In a recent episode of The MMA Hour featuring Volkanovski, the Australian appeared to make a similar accusation against Makhachev.

While talking about how much the Dagestani might have weighed inside the octagon, Volkanovski said that Makhachev constantly springs back to 180 pounds after weigh-ins and suggested he probably uses IV infusions to do so.

Ariel Helwani clarified at the beginning of the video that the interview was taped before Hooker's tweets.

Makhachev's team released a statement on the matter, completely dismissing the claims as 'lies'. His co-manager Rizvan Magomedov told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn that it was "completely BS" and was done as an attempt to seek attention.

It is worth mentioning that Makhachev, along with Jon Jones and Paulo Costa, is among the most tested UFC fighters in 2023 so far.

#2. Alexander Volkanovski retains No. 1 P4P spot after rankings update

The new rankings update after UFC 284 is out and Alexander Volkanovski is still at the No. 1 position in the pound-for-pound rankings.

When Islam Makhachev challenged the featherweight champion after defeating Charles Oliveira, they seemingly agreed upon the top P4P spot being on the line. But despite Makhachev winning, it seems like Volkanovski's immense show of heart and grit earned him the right to retain the spot anyway.

Alexander Volkanovski remains the No. 1 P4P fighter after his loss at #UFC284 https://t.co/IuZOW2GwYb

Among other changes in the rankings, former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo has been bumped off the P4P list and Max Holloway has re-entered at No. 15.

Jon Jones, who was previously at No. 11, and Jiri Prochazka, who was at No. 10, have swapped positions.

#1. Conor McGregor addresses Michael Chandler fight for the first time

Conor McGregor has been uncharacteristically quiet about his recently announced UFC return against Michael Chandler. The two are set to coach on The Ultimate Fighter and, at the end of the season, face off inside the octagon.

Mirror Fighting caught up with McGregor outside the Black Forge Inn in Dublin on Tuesday after his meeting with Eddie Hearn. He answered questions on the fight and how his preparations are going:

"Looking forward to it. Looking forward to it. Feeling good, feeling energetic, feeling ready. You know, I'm throwing up my high kicks faster than I'm throwing up my jabs. So I'm pretty excited to get back, alright."

The Irishman also revealed that he will be heading to Las Vegas soon.

🚨EXCLUSIVE🚨

@TheNotoriousMMA speaks for the first time on his comeback fight with Michael Chandler | @DonaghCorby_

Full story HERE: mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sp… https://t.co/LhKNmqWmEt