Illia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have publicly disputed the reasons their White House event fight fell through. Topuria claims he went to sleep knowing the fight was set, only to be informed hours before the announcement that Makhachev was injured and he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Makhachev countered that he agreed to the fight immediately when contacted, but the UFC told him the next day that Topuria requested an enormous purse and was denied. Makhachev insisted that Topuria refused the bout and accused him of lying, stating even Topuria's manager confirmed this version. When a fan jokingly asked if Ali Abdelaziz was posting at 4 AM, Makhachev cryptically replied "Today it's not him," adding another layer of intrigue to the social media exchange.
A public dispute between two of the sport's biggest names has spilled onto social media, with Islam Makhachev and Illia Topuria offering sharply conflicting accounts of why their planned White House event fight collapsed before it was ever announced.
Makhachev, the 34-year-old Russian who holds the welterweight title and carries a 28-1-0 record, claims he agreed to the fight without hesitation when the UFC first reached out. According to his version of events, the promotion came back to him the following day and explained that Topuria had demanded an exceptionally large purse, that the request was rejected, and that Topuria turned the bout down. Makhachev went further, stating that Topuria's own manager corroborated this account. He added a cryptic note during the social media exchange, responding to a fan's joke about manager Ali Abdelaziz posting at four in the morning by saying, "Today it's not him" — a comment that only deepened the intrigue.
Topuria's account is the opposite. He says he went to sleep believing the fight was finalized, only to be told hours before the public announcement that Makhachev was injured and unavailable. In that version, the UFC pivoted and offered him Justin Gaethje instead.
Gaethje, the 37-year-old lightweight champion from the United States, carries a 28-5-0 record and fights out of Genesis Training Center. Known for relentless forward pressure, he averages 6.48 significant strikes landed per minute — among the highest volumes in the sport.
Why it matters
- Makhachev and Topuria are two of the most prominent champions in the UFC, and a fight between them would carry significant cross-divisional weight
- Both fighters are calling the other a liar, making any future negotiation between them more complicated
- Gaethje's insertion into the White House card places the lightweight title picture front and center regardless of how the Makhachev-Topuria saga resolves
