Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev dispute who rejected White House fight

A public dispute has erupted between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev over who is responsible for their fight failing to materialize at the White House event. Topuria claimed he went to bed knowing he would fight Makhachev and that the bout was supposed to be announced, but received a call hours before the announcement stating that Islam was injured and he would instead face Justin Gaethje. Makhachev fired back, saying he's tired of lies from Topuria and his team, claiming he agreed to the fight when offered but was told the next day that Topuria requested a huge purse and was denied. Makhachev stated that even Topuria's manager confirmed this version, insisting that Topuria rejected the fight and knows it. The conflicting accounts have added further intrigue to a potential future matchup between the featherweight champion and lightweight champion.