Ilia Topuria claimed he was originally scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev at the White House event card but the fight fell through because Makhachev sustained an injury. Islam Makhachev disputed this, stating that Topuria asked for a massive purse and was denied, leading to the bout being scrapped. Makhachev accused Topuria and his team of lying about the situation, while Topuria maintains he went to sleep expecting the Islam fight to be announced. The exchange highlights ongoing tension between the two champions. Additionally, Jorge Masvidal and Dustin Poirier have both picked Sean Strickland to defeat Khamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal calling Chimaev's style "sitting and smelling crotches." Dricus Du Plessis noted that Israel Adesanya was his most technical opponent while Sean Strickland and Brad Tavares were his toughest, and he doesn't even consider his encounter with Chimaev a real fight.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
