Illia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have provided contradictory statements about negotiations for their potential White House event fight. Topuria claimed he went to sleep knowing the fight with Islam was confirmed, only to be told hours before the announcement that Makhachev was injured and he would fight Justin Gaethje instead. He expressed confusion about why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Makhachev countered by stating he accepted the fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge fee and was denied, with Topuria's manager allegedly confirming this version. Makhachev also noted in a late-night post that someone else was posting from his account. The conflicting narratives have left fans uncertain about which fighter is telling the truth.
