Topuria and Makhachev dispute who rejected White House fight

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have publicly contradicted each other regarding a proposed White House event fight. Topuria claims he went to sleep knowing the fight was happening, but was told hours before the announcement that Makhachev was injured and he would instead face Justin Gaethje. Makhachev countered that he agreed to the fight when offered, but Topuria requested an enormous fee and was denied, leading to the fight falling through. Makhachev stated that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version of events and told Topuria to stop lying. When a fan commented at 4 AM telling Ali Abdelaziz to sleep, Makhachev replied it was not him posting. The conflicting accounts highlight the breakdown in negotiations and ongoing animosity between the camps.