Topuria and Makhachev dispute who turned down White House event fight

Ilia Topuria claimed he went to bed knowing he would fight Islam Makhachev at a White House event, but hours before the announcement was told Makhachev was injured and he would face Gaethje instead. Topuria questioned why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him and called him strange. Makhachev responded that he's tired of Topuria's fabrications, saying he accepted the White House fight but the next day was told Topuria requested a huge purse and was denied. Makhachev stated that Topuria's own manager confirmed this version and accused Topuria of lying. In a separate comment, when a fan noted it was 4 AM, Makhachev clarified "today it's not him," apparently referring to his manager Ali Abdelaziz typically handling his social media. The conflicting accounts have created controversy about who actually rejected the high-profile matchup.