Topuria and Makhachev dispute who turned down White House fight

Ilia Topuria claims he was informed hours before the White House event announcement that he would fight Islam Makhachev, but was later told Makhachev suffered an injury and he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Topuria stated he does not understand why Makhachev does not want to fight him. Makhachev responded by saying he agreed to the White House fight but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge purse and was denied, accusing Topuria of lying about turning down the bout. The back-and-forth includes Makhachev noting that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version of events. In other news, Jorge Masvidal and Orion Cosce have both picked Sean Strickland to defeat Khamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal criticizing Chimaev's grappling-heavy style.