Islam Makhachev has expressed frustration with what he calls fabricated narratives coming from Ilia Topuria's camp. Makhachev claims he received a call and accepted a fight at the White House event, but the next day was told Topuria requested an unrealistic sum of money. According to Makhachev, the UFC rejected this financial demand and Topuria withdrew from the fight. He stated that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version of events. Makhachev directly addressed Topuria, accusing him of telling a different story in each new interview and urged him to stop talking, insisting that Topuria knows he pulled out of the fight.
Islam Makhachev is pushing back hard against what he describes as a campaign of misinformation from Ilia Topuria's camp, publicly accusing the Georgian-Spanish contender of fabricating a different version of events in every interview he gives.
Makhachev, the 34-year-old Russian who holds the welterweight championship and carries a 28-1 record, says the sequence of events was straightforward. He received a call, accepted a fight at the White House event, and then learned the following day that Topuria had demanded a sum of money the UFC found unrealistic. According to Makhachev, the promotion rejected the financial demand outright and Topuria withdrew. He added that even Topuria's own manager confirmed this account, leaving him with little patience for the alternative narratives now circulating.
Topuria, ranked number two in the lightweight division and sitting at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings at just 29 years old, holds a 17-1 record and has established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute. The Spain-based fighter has been positioned as one of the most high-profile potential opponents for Makhachev as the lightweight champion moves between divisions.
Makhachev addressed Topuria directly, urging him to stop talking and insisting that Topuria knows he was the one who pulled out of the fight.
Why it matters
- Makhachev is the reigning welterweight champion at 28-1 and a dominant grappler averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, while Topuria is the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter at lightweight, making this a genuinely elite cross-divisional matchup
- The breakdown in negotiations, if confirmed, delays what would be one of the most anticipated fights the promotion could make
- The public dispute over who derailed the bout adds a layer of bad blood that complicates any future rescheduling efforts
