Ilia Topuria claimed he was told hours before the White House event announcement that he would fight Islam Makhachev, but was later informed Makhachev was injured and he would instead face Justin Gaethje. Islam Makhachev responded by saying Topuria's team requested an excessive fee and were denied, accusing Topuria of lying. Makhachev stated that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version of events. Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce backed Sean Strickland in his upcoming fight against Hamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal criticizing Chimaev's fighting style. Dricus Du Plessis said Israel Adesanya was his most technical opponent, while Sean Strickland and Thales Leites were the toughest, notably excluding Chimaev. The UFC 327 card features fighters who have collectively earned 92 bonuses throughout their careers.
Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev are publicly contradicting each other over why their anticipated White House event matchup fell apart, with the dispute playing out in the days leading up to UFC 327 on April 11.
Topuria claims he was informed hours before the White House event was announced that he would face lightweight champion Makhachev, only to be told shortly after that Makhachev had suffered an injury and that Justin Gaethje would replace him. Makhachev pushed back hard on that account, stating that Topuria's team had demanded an excessive fee for the fight and were turned down when the request was denied. Makhachev went further, saying that even Topuria's own manager confirmed his version of events, directly accusing the Georgian featherweight of lying.
The UFC 327 card itself carries considerable weight at middleweight. Sean Strickland, the 35-year-old American champion from Xtreme Couture, carries a 31-7 record into his fight against Hamzat Chimaev. Strickland outputs an aggressive 6.04 significant strikes per minute, drawing public support ahead of the bout from both Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce. Masvidal used his backing of Strickland as an opportunity to criticize Chimaev's fighting style.
Meanwhile, number-two ranked middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis, 32, from South Africa, offered an interesting breakdown of his toughest career tests. The 23-3 fighter, who lands 5.18 significant strikes per minute and averages 2.22 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, named Israel Adesanya as his most technically demanding opponent. He reserved the toughest labels for Sean Strickland and Thales Leites — a notable omission of Chimaev from that tier ahead of this weekend's event.
Why it matters
- The Topuria-Makhachev dispute puts a high-profile lightweight super-fight in public doubt, with competing narratives muddying any rescheduling prospects
- Strickland's championship and Chimaev's divisional ambitions make their middleweight clash the most consequential bout on the UFC 327 card
- Du Plessis, ranked second at 185 pounds and seventh pound-for-pound, is watching the Strickland-Chimaev outcome closely given his own title aspirations
Saturday, April 11, 2026
