Quick read
Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria are publicly contradicting each other about who refused their potential champion-versus-champion bout. Topuria claims he was told just hours before the White House announcement that Makhachev had suffered an injury and the fight was off. He states he went to bed expecting to fight Makhachev but woke up to learn he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Makhachev counters that he agreed to the fight but was told Topuria demanded an excessively large fee and was therefore declined. Makhachev insists Topuria's manager confirmed this version and accuses the featherweight champion of lying. The social media exchange, which occurred around 4 a.m., has intensified the rivalry between the two champions.
AgentMMA.com
