With the UFC and USADA partnership in full effect, multiple changes have been made to the drug testing guidelines, and one of the biggest stories to come out of the new anti-doping program is the IV re-hydration ban, which went into effect officially on October 1, 2015. While the regulations are confined to the UFC currently, there are some athletes from other organizations that have also begun taking steps to better prepare for their weight cuts without the use of IVs, just in case the changes are adopted sport-wide.
Recently, the Three Amigos Podcast interviewed WSOF light heavyweight contender and jiu-jitsu ace, Vinny Magalhaes, who discussed his own trials and tribulations with past weight cuts and his new regimen, which has him walking around much closer to his fighting weight. Additionally, we are treated to a pretty scary story of a Brazilian physician that ended up causing a bacterial infection for both Vinny and Bristol Marunde during their IV re-hydration that she administered.
Vinny MagalhaesThe case of the tainted nail clippers
Here's the thing, my last fight for the UFC, I had some issues with an IV. Me and Bristol Marunde both had this doctor from Brazil. She brought a nurse with her and she was super professional. She had brought three IV bags for us, because in Brazil, the bags are only like 500 ml. So, she cuts the bag with a nail clipper—we figured she's a doctor and she knows what she's doing.
Anyway, after the weigh-ins, me and Bristol both got the IV from her, and later on we were feeling like crap. We had a fever and were just feeling like crap right before our fights. After the fights, I found out I had gotten a bacterial infection, and the same thing happened to Bristol.
She had never done IVs for fighters before, and she had to do the IVs in the hotel room, so she brought the stuff to the room, but she didn't bring the right equipment, the scissors or whatever to cut the bag. She used those alcohol pads to clean up the nail clippers, so we figured it was safe. Then, we found out the next day it wasn't that safe [laughs].
It's one of those things where you can't completely blame the doctor. Some of it is on her for sure, but we took the risk. We saw it happening and we didn't complain, so some of that is on us, too. It wasn't too long after that when decided I would start walking around closer to my weight class.
Walking lighter
Since I've been out of the UFC, I walk much closer to my fight weight and much lower than I used to. I've been walking around at 225, which is pretty low compared to what I used to, and right now I'm only walking at 220. That's the best idea, at only 15 pounds over my weight class, I don't need to do the IVs any more.
I don't use IVs now, but not because of all the new rules, I don't use them because I don't want to take the risk of getting another infection. I also feel like 235, which is what I used to walk at, it made me feel too heavy and slow, and if I have a 5-round fight, or even a tough 3-round fight, that's just too much. It's better for me to be walking around lighter.
You can check out more of this great interview here (interview starts at the 1:00:50 mark of the audio) or via the embedded player below. Remember, if you're looking for us on Soundcloud or iTunes, we're under the MMA Nation name. Follow our Twitter accounts: Stephie Haynes, Three Amigos Podcast, Iain Kidd and Mookie Alexander or our Facebook fan page, Three Amigos Podcast.