Topuria and Makhachev dispute who withdrew from White House fight announcement

Ilia Topuria claims he was scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev and was informed of the matchup hours before the White House announcement, but was told Makhachev suffered an injury and he would instead face Dustin Poirier. Islam Makhachev countered that he agreed to the fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge fee and was denied, leading to the bout falling through. Makhachev insisted Topuria refused the fight and accused him of lying, even noting that Topuria's manager confirmed this version. When a fan commented on Makhachev's late-night social media activity, he clarified "it's not him today," suggesting Ali Abdelaziz manages his account. The public back-and-forth highlights ongoing tensions between the lightweight champion and featherweight champion over a potential superfight.