Ilia Topuria claims he was told hours before the White House event announcement that he would fight Islam Makhachev, only to receive a call saying Makhachev was injured and he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Topuria expressed confusion about why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. In response, Islam Makhachev stated he accepted the White House fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge fee and was denied. Makhachev challenged Topuria to stop lying, noting that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version. The exchange also included comments from Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce backing Sean Strickland against Khamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal criticizing Chimaev's style. Additionally, Dricus Du Plessis named Israel Adesanya as his most technical opponent and Sean Strickland and Brad Tavares as his toughest, notably excluding Chimaev because he doesn't consider their encounter a real fight.
A public back-and-forth between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev has broken out over who was responsible for their proposed White House fight falling apart, with both fighters offering directly conflicting accounts.
Topuria says he was informed hours before the White House event was announced that he would be fighting Makhachev, only to receive a follow-up call claiming Makhachev was injured and that Justin Gaethje would replace him. The Georgian featherweight expressed genuine puzzlement over why Makhachev appears unwilling to share the cage with him.
Makhachev pushed back firmly, stating he accepted the White House fight when it was first presented to him, but was told the following day that Topuria had demanded a fee so large it was rejected by the promotion. The Dagestani lightweight champion called on Topuria to stop lying and pointed to Topuria's own manager as someone who backs his version of events.
The same social media exchange drew in additional voices. Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce both weighed in to support Sean Strickland against Khamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal taking aim at Chimaev's fighting style. Strickland, the current middleweight champion, carries a 31-7 record at 35 years old and lands an imposing 6.04 significant strikes per minute.
Separately, former middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis offered a candid assessment of his toughest opponents. The 32-year-old South African, ranked second at middleweight and seventh pound-for-pound with a 23-3 record, named Israel Adesanya as his most technically demanding fight and pointed to Strickland and Brad Tavares as the hardest tests he has faced. Du Plessis notably left Khamzat Chimaev off the list entirely, explaining that he does not regard their encounter as a legitimate fight.
Why it matters
- The Topuria-Makhachev dispute leaves the status of a potential lightweight-featherweight super-fight unresolved
- Conflicting accounts from both camps and a reference to Topuria's manager add credibility questions on both sides
- Du Plessis singling out Strickland and Tavares while dismissing Chimaev adds fuel to the already heated middleweight division rivalry
