Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev dispute White House event fight negotiations

A public disagreement has erupted between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev regarding fight negotiations for the White House event. Topuria claims he went to sleep knowing he would fight Makhachev after the announcement, but was informed hours before the official card reveal that Islam suffered an injury and he would instead face Justin Gaethje. The Georgian featherweight champion expressed confusion about why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Makhachev responded by stating he's tired of hearing fabrications from Topuria and his team, claiming he agreed to the White House fight but was told Topuria demanded a huge fee and was denied. Islam asserted that Topuria refused the fight and knows it, with even Topuria's manager allegedly confirming the financial dispute. The back-and-forth has created confusion about what actually transpired during negotiations.