Ilia Topuria claimed he knew about a fight with Islam Makhachev for the White House event, but was told hours before the announcement that Makhachev was injured and he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Topuria questioned why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Makhachev countered that he agreed to the White House fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge fee and was denied. Makhachev accused Topuria of lying and said even Topuria's manager confirmed the fee issue. The exchange highlights an ongoing dispute between the two champions about who turned down the potential superfight. Additional notes mentioned Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce picking Sean Strickland over Khamzat Chimaev, and Dricus du Plessis ranking Israel Adesanya as his most technical opponent.
