Ilia Topuria claimed he was informed hours before the White House event announcement that he would fight Islam Makhachev, but the bout was canceled due to Makhachev's injury and replaced with Justin Gaethje. Islam Makhachev disputed this account, stating he agreed to the fight but Topuria requested an excessive purse and was denied, leading to the cancellation. Makhachev insisted that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version, and urged Topuria to stop lying. The conflicting accounts have created controversy over who is responsible for the fight falling through. Meanwhile, Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce picked Sean Strickland over Khamzat Chimaev, and Dricus Du Plessis named Israel Adesanya as his most technical opponent while calling Strickland and Tavares his hardest hitters.
