Ilia Topuria claimed that hours before the White House event card was announced, he was told he would fight Islam Makhachev, but shortly before the announcement, he was informed Makhachev had suffered an injury and would be replaced by Gaethje. Islam Makhachev responded by calling Topuria's statements lies, saying he agreed to the fight but was told Topuria demanded too large a purse and was denied. Makhachev added that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version. A fan commenting late at night prompted Makhachev to clarify he was not the one managing his account at that moment. Meanwhile, Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce backed Sean Strickland in his upcoming fight against Hamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal mocking Chimaev's grappling-heavy style.
Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have traded public accusations over why a potential superfight between the two fell apart ahead of the White House event card announcement.
Topuria claimed that he was informed hours before the card was made public that he would face Makhachev, only to be told shortly before the announcement that the lightweight champion had picked up an injury and would be replaced by Justin Gaethje. Makhachev fired back directly, calling Topuria's account a lie. The Russian champion said he agreed to the fight but was told Topuria had demanded a purse that the promotion declined to meet — and that Topuria's own manager had confirmed as much. Makhachev also noted, in a separate comment prompted by a fan late at night, that he was not personally managing his social media account at that moment.
Makhachev, 34, holds a 28-1-0 record and is the reigning welterweight champion. He is one of the sport's most complete wrestlers, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes while landing strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate.
Topuria is not listed among the verified fighters in the available data, but the dispute centers on what would have been a high-profile crossover matchup drawing significant commercial interest.
Why it matters
- Two champions pointing to entirely different reasons for the fight's collapse leaves the public account deeply contested and unresolved.
- If Makhachev's version is accurate, the financial gap between the two sides may be the primary obstacle to rescheduling.
- Makhachev's note about a third party running his account adds an unusual wrinkle to the credibility of his own public statements.
Separately, Jorge Masvidal, 41, and Orion Cosce voiced support for Sean Strickland ahead of Strickland's upcoming middleweight bout against Hamzat Chimaev. Masvidal, carrying a 35-17-0 record and a background in striking, took aim at Chimaev's grappling-dependent approach. Strickland, 35, is the reigning middleweight champion at 31-7-0, averaging 6.04 significant strikes per minute with a 76-inch reach.
