Topuria and Makhachev Exchange Conflicting Claims About White House Fight

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have presented contradictory accounts regarding the collapsed White House event matchup. Topuria stated he went to bed knowing the fight with Makhachev was scheduled and would be announced, but received a call hours before the announcement saying Makhachev was injured and he would instead face Justin Gaethje. Topuria expressed confusion about why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him. Makhachev countered by saying he agreed to the fight immediately when offered, but the next day was told Topuria demanded a huge purse and was denied. Makhachev claimed even Topuria's manager confirmed this version, accusing the Georgian of lying. In a notable detail, when a fan commented at 4 AM telling Ali Abdelaziz to go to sleep, Makhachev responded "Today it's not him," suggesting he was personally managing his social media that night. The conflicting stories have left fans uncertain about which fighter is telling the truth.