Topuria and Makhachev dispute who rejected White House event fight

Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev are engaged in a public dispute over who rejected their planned fight at the White House event. Topuria claims he went to sleep knowing the fight was scheduled, only to receive a call hours before the announcement stating Makhachev was injured and he would fight Justin Gaethje instead. Makhachev responded at 4 AM, stating he accepted the fight but Topuria's team requested an enormous purse and was denied, leading to the cancellation. Makhachev emphasized that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version of events. The exchange highlights significant disagreement between the camps about the circumstances. A commenter noted the unusual timing of Makhachev's response, to which he clarified "Today this is not him," suggesting someone else manages his account.