Topuria claims Makhachev withdrew from White House fight, Makhachev denies

Ilia Topuria stated that hours before the White House fight card announcement, he was informed he would fight Islam Makhachev and went to sleep expecting that matchup. However, hours before the official announcement, Topuria claims he was told Makhachev suffered an injury and he would instead face Justin Gaethje. Islam Makhachev responded by calling Topuria's claims fabrications, stating that he agreed to the White House fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge purse and was denied. Makhachev insisted that Topuria refused the fight and knows this to be true. The back-and-forth adds intrigue to a potential future matchup between the featherweight and lightweight champions.