Ilia Topuria claimed he was told he would fight Islam Makhachev at a White House event, but hours before the announcement Makhachev allegedly withdrew due to injury and Topuria was matched with Gaethje instead. Makhachev fired back, saying he accepted the White House fight but was told Topuria demanded a huge purse and was denied. Makhachev accused Topuria and his team of lying, stating that even Topuria's manager confirmed the story. The exchange escalated with fans commenting on the late-night social media argument. Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce both picked Sean Strickland to beat Khamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal mocking Chimaev's wrestling style. Dricus du Plessis named Israel Adesanya as his most technical opponent and Sean Strickland and Brad Tavares as his toughest, notably excluding Chimaev from the list because he does not consider their encounter a real fight.
