Ahead of his UFC 284 main event on Saturday night, Islam Makhachev addressed accusations of steroid use by former opponent Bobby Green.
Last year, Green stepped in on short notice for a UFC Fight Night headliner with the now-reigning 155-pound champion. Makhachev made quick work of Green, securing an opportunity to capture UFC gold eight months later. In December, Green made his return to action against Drew Dober, but ahead of their matchup, ‘King’ accused Islam Makhachev of steroid use, suggesting a corrupt Russian system had been feeding him performance-enhancing drugs from an early age.
Bobby Green sounds off on Islam Makhachev. 😳
"Imagine if you gave someone steroids from the age of 10?"#UFCVegas66 | Full video: https://t.co/x4dYPrIfxn pic.twitter.com/1VtbGcJUay
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) December 15, 2022
Islam Makhachev Says His Power Comes from Lifelong Training, Not Steroids
During his appearance at the UFC 284 media event, Makhachev was asked about Green’s comments. The Dagestani destroy was quick to dismiss Green’s claim, stating that lifelong training and his dedication to the sport is what makes him perhaps the most powerful fighter in the division.
“I don’t know it. I am not, I am not like Bobby Green. I am not drunk, do some bad stuff,” Makhachev said. “I (am) training hard, that’s why. That’s why he feel the power and I saw it. I told you, all the fighters say, ‘I am gonna defend his wrestling like if you take me down I’m gonna go up.’ … But, when fight is happening, when I take down my opponent, they all feel my power… and they’re all stop you know. This is not because I am good. It’s because I (have been) training all my life.”
Islam Makhachev has been tested 24 times between 2020 and 2022 according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s athlete testing history website, none of which were flagged for any banned substances. Two tests have been conducted in 2023 thus far according to the site.
It should be noted that on May 16, 2022, Bobby Green was handed a six-month suspension by USADA after an out-of-competition test showed Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in his system.
