Islam Makhachev is on the run of his life! After beating Charles Oliveira to become the champ at UFC 280, Islam successfully defended his lightweight title against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. However, it was not an easy endeavor, as he had to fight out of his skin to edge out a decision win. Afterward, he took the mic to claim that he is, indeed, the best fighter in the world.
Ahead of the fight, Alexander Volkanovski was the no.1 P4P fighter in the world. Alex was on a 12-fight win streak and rightfully deserved the spot. Hence, fans fully expected to climb up the ranks and gain the no.1 P4P spot. Although it has been over 24 hours since the fight, it does not look like Makhachev is at the top. Alex has retained the no.1 spot.
Volk stays P4P number 1 👀 pic.twitter.com/1ObxG1CPFr
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) February 14, 2023
Makhachev is currently in the second spot, the same as he was before the fight. The only movement in the P4P rankings came in the 7th and 8th spots. The bantamweight champ, Aljamain Sterling, moved up to the 7th spot and Charles Oliveira was demoted down to the 8th spot. Other than Alex and Islam, Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, and Israel Adesanya round out the top 5.
The undisputed men’s flyweight champ Brandon Moreno is in the 9th spot. Newly crowned light heavyweight champ Jamhal Hill is 13th in the P4P ranks. Jon Jones, who was a regular fixture in the top 5, currently sits in the 10th spot. However, fans can expect to see him back near the top if he wins against Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.
Islam Makhachev was accused of using I.V. ahead of UFC 284
Islam Makhachev not being in the top spot has definitely come as a surprise. After beating Alexander Volkanovski, the Dagestani fighter holds the longest active win streak in the UFC. So why is Islam not at the top? For one, Alexander Volkanovki did not go down easily. Many even claim that the Aussie beat Islam on the night. So it may be one of the reasons why Alex retained his spot.
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.
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
He doesn’t cheat, he doesn’t win.
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
Islam is a cheat. https://t.co/bIdk13C26P
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) February 13, 2023
However, the other reason is much more controversial. After the fight, Volkanovski’s City Kickboxing teammate Dan Hooker threw out some wild allegations. He claimed that Islam took the help of an IV ahead of the fight. He specifically called out Makhachev and added that the 31-year-old had to cheat to beat Volkanovski. Even Alex made the same allegation after the fight.
Was that the reason why the P4P went unchanged? If not, why do you think Islam Makhachev is not at the top? It was his dream to be the best P4P fighter in the world. Has he failed in that? Let us know in the comments down below.