Ilia Topuria claimed he was scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev at the White House event but was told hours before the announcement that Makhachev pulled out with an injury, leading to a matchup with Gaethje instead. Makhachev fired back, stating he agreed to the fight but UFC told him Topuria rejected it due to demanding a huge purse, which Topuria's manager allegedly confirmed. The public exchange also featured a humorous moment when a fan told Makhachev to go to sleep at 4 AM, to which he replied it wasn't him posting. Meanwhile, Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce picked Sean Strickland over Khamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal mocking Chimaev's grappling-heavy style.
A public dispute between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev has spilled onto social media, with both fighters offering contradictory accounts of why a planned superfight at the White House event fell apart.
Topuria claimed he was lined up to face Makhachev at the high-profile card but was informed just hours before the official announcement that the lightweight champion had withdrawn due to injury, forcing the promotion to instead book him against Justin Gaethje. Makhachev pushed back sharply, insisting he had agreed to the fight but was told by UFC that Topuria turned it down after demanding an outsized purse — a claim Makhachev said was even confirmed by Topuria's own manager. The exchange had at least one lighter moment when a fan told Makhachev to log off at 4 AM, prompting him to clarify it was not him doing the posting.
Makhachev, 34, currently holds the welterweight title and carries a 28-1-0 record. The Russian southpaw out of Eagles MMA is a precision fighter who lands at a 58 percent striking accuracy rate and averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, underlining his all-around threat.
Separately, middleweight champion Sean Strickland picked up notable support ahead of his expected clash with Khamzat Chimaev. Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce both backed Strickland, with Masvidal taking direct aim at Chimaev's grappling-oriented approach. Strickland, 35, trains out of Xtreme Couture and owns a 31-7-0 record. The American orthodox striker is among the busiest in the division at 6.04 significant strikes landed per minute and carries a 76-inch reach.
Masvidal, 41, speaks with credibility on style matchups after a long career that includes a 35-17-0 record and 4.05 significant strikes landed per minute across his time competing at American Top Team.
Why it matters
- The Topuria-Makhachev dispute leaves the status of a potential cross-divisional superfight officially unresolved and publicly contentious.
- Both fighters pointing blame at the other complicates any future negotiations between their camps and the promotion.
- The Chimaev-Strickland middleweight matchup is drawing wider attention, with prominent names already weighing in on the stylistic dynamics.
