Ilia Topuria claimed he was set to fight Islam Makhachev at the White House event, but hours before the announcement, he was told Makhachev was injured and he would face Gaethje instead. Topuria questioned why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Makhachev responded that he accepted the White House fight offer, but the next day was told Topuria requested a huge fee and was denied. Makhachev insisted Topuria turned down the fight and accused him of lying, noting even Topuria's manager confirmed the story. The exchange also included a humorous moment where a fan told Makhachev to go to sleep at 4 AM, to which Makhachev replied it wasn't him posting.
A public back-and-forth between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev erupted on social media, with both fighters offering conflicting accounts of why a planned bout at the White House event fell apart and ended with Topuria being matched against Justin Gaethje instead.
Topuria, ranked number one pound-for-pound and sitting at number two in the lightweight division with a 17-1 record, claimed he was fully prepared to fight Makhachev until he was informed hours before the announcement that Makhachev had suffered an injury, forcing the card to pivot. The 29-year-old Spaniard, who stands five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, questioned publicly why Makhachev seems unwilling to face him, landing his accusation with a combative tone on social media.
Makhachev pushed back firmly. The 34-year-old Russian, who holds a 28-1 record and carries the welterweight title into 2026, said he accepted the White House fight without hesitation, only to be told the following day that Topuria had demanded a fee that was denied. Makhachev accused Topuria of lying and pointed to confirmation from Topuria's own manager as evidence supporting his version of events. Standing five-foot-ten with a reach of 70 inches, Makhachev is one of the sport's most complete fighters, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside a striking accuracy of 58 percent.
The exchange took a lighter turn when a fan spotted Makhachev posting at 4 AM and told him to go to sleep. Makhachev denied it was actually him behind the account at that hour.
Gaethje, the lightweight champion with a 28-5 record, enters the picture as Topuria's confirmed opponent following the reported collapse of the Makhachev negotiation.
Why it matters
- Both fighters are among the sport's elite, and a Topuria-Makhachev matchup would cross divisional lines with major pound-for-pound implications
- The conflicting accounts leave the true reason for the fight falling apart publicly unresolved
- Topuria now turns his focus to Gaethje, a pressure fighter averaging 6.48 significant strikes per minute, representing a sharply different stylistic challenge
