Ilia Topuria says he is set for a high-profile showdown with Justin Gaethje on June 11th, revealing he will compete on a UFC White House card.
Topuria states he was first told the matchup would be against Islam Makhachev before the promotion informed him Makhachev was injured and that Gaethje would be his opponent instead. “Dana White came out saying he’d announce the entire card in two days, so I thought if I was there, it would be against Islam. Suddenly, I was called and told that Islam was injured and that I would go against Justin Gaethje. There were points of the negotiation that we were debating, but it is secondary.”
Despite the change, Topuria continues to point to Makhachev as the biggest possible fight for him. “I think it is a fight that everyone wants to see, whether they are sports fans or not,” he said. “It is a fight that from my perspective has to happen. If I were in the UFC’s place I would do everything I could to make it happen.”
Topuria says both he and Makhachev recently changed weight classes and notes they each bring strong fan bases, including Makhachev as “a Middle East star.” He adds, “The triple crown has always made sense to me whether it is against Islam Makhachev or not,” and emphasizes that his main goal is to win a third title, regardless of opponent.
Topuria also expresses willingness to face Arman Tsarukyan, but says that bout has not been offered to him and denies that he priced himself out of a fight with Makhachev.
