Ilia Topuria claimed he was scheduled to fight Islam Makhachev and went to sleep knowing the bout would be announced at the White House event, but received a call hours before the announcement saying Makhachev was injured and he would fight Dustin Gaethje instead. Topuria expressed confusion about why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Islam Makhachev countered these claims, stating he agreed to the White House fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested an enormous fee and was denied. Makhachev accused Topuria and his team of lying, saying even Topuria's manager confirmed the fee issue. In other UFC 327 news, Jorge Masvidal and Joe Pyfer both picked Sean Strickland to defeat Khamzat Chimaev, with Masvidal dismissing Chimaev's wrestling style. Dricus Du Plessis identified Israel Adesanya as his most technical opponent, with Sean Strickland and Brad Tavares as his toughest. The UFC 327 card features fighters who have collectively earned 92 bonuses.
Saturday, April 11, 2026
