Ilia Topuria claims he was originally scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev at the White House event, but Makhachev pulled out due to injury hours before the announcement, leading to Topuria being matched with Gaethje instead. Makhachev disputes this account, stating he accepted the White House fight but was told Topuria demanded an excessive purse and was denied. Makhachev's team insists Topuria refused the bout, and even Topuria's manager allegedly confirmed this version. The public back-and-forth includes a fan commenting on Makhachev posting at 4 AM, to which Makhachev cryptically replied "today it's not him." Both fighters are accusing each other of lying about who rejected the potential matchup.
