Ilia Topuria claims he was initially scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev at the White House event, but was informed hours before the announcement that Makhachev suffered an injury and he would instead face Justin Gaethje. Topuria stated he doesn't understand why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Makhachev fired back, saying he accepted the White House fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested a massive fee and was denied. Makhachev accused Topuria of lying and said even Topuria's manager confirmed this version. The public exchange highlights ongoing tensions between the two champions.
Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have clashed publicly over conflicting accounts of how a proposed fight between them fell apart ahead of a high-profile White House event.
Topuria, the 29-year-old Spanish star who carries a 17-1 record and holds the number-one pound-for-pound ranking, says he was originally slated to face Makhachev at the event but was told just hours before the announcement that Makhachev had suffered an injury. He was then redirected toward a matchup with Justin Gaethje instead. Topuria, who competes at lightweight and lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute, stated publicly that he cannot understand why Makhachev appears unwilling to fight him.
Makhachev pushed back hard. The 34-year-old Russian champion, who holds a 28-1 record and currently campaigns at welterweight, says he accepted the White House fight when it was offered to him. According to Makhachev, he was contacted the following day and told that Topuria had demanded a fee far beyond what was approved and the bout collapsed on those grounds. Makhachev accused Topuria of lying and pointed to Topuria's own manager as someone who corroborated his version of events. Makhachev is a technically precise fighter who converts takedowns at 3.2 per fifteen minutes and strikes with 58 percent accuracy.
Gaethje, the 37-year-old BMF champion from the United States with a 28-5 record, now steps in as Topuria's opponent following the reported switch. He is among the most aggressive strikers in the division, averaging 6.48 significant strikes per minute across his career.
Why it matters
- Topuria is the number-one pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, making any potential matchup with a champion of Makhachev's caliber a major crossroads bout
- The competing accounts leave the actual reason for the fight change unresolved and officially unconfirmed by either promotion
- Makhachev citing Topuria's manager as a witness adds a layer of credibility to his version that is unlikely to go unanswered
