Topuria and Makhachev dispute who turned down White House event fight

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have presented conflicting accounts of why their planned White House event fight fell through. Topuria claims he went to bed knowing the fight with Makhachev was confirmed, only to receive a call hours before the announcement stating Makhachev had sustained an injury and he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Topuria expressed confusion about why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Makhachev fired back, stating he accepted the fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested an enormous fee and was denied, with even Topuria's manager allegedly confirming this version. A commenter noted Makhachev was posting at 4 AM, to which he mysteriously replied "Today it's not him," suggesting someone else controls his account. The contradictory narratives have left fans questioning which fighter is being truthful about the failed negotiation.