Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev dispute who rejected White House fight

Ilia Topuria claimed he was informed hours before the White House event announcement that he would fight Islam Makhachev, only to be told Makhachev was injured and he would face Justin Gaethje instead. Topuria questioned why Makhachev doesn't want to fight him, calling the situation strange. Islam Makhachev fired back, stating he agreed to the White House fight when offered, but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge fee and was denied. Makhachev accused Topuria of lying and said even Topuria's manager confirmed this version. The back-and-forth escalated when a fan told Makhachev to go to sleep at 4 AM, to which he cryptically replied "Today it's not him," suggesting someone else was managing his social media. The dispute centers on conflicting claims about who refused the high-profile matchup.