Islam Makhachev says a proposed superfight with Ilia Topuria on the White House South Lawn fell apart over money, not injury, ahead of UFC Freedom 250 this Sunday.
The UFC initially targeted Makhachev vs. Topuria as the main event for the historic card at the White House, before pivoting to book Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for a lightweight title unification bout instead.
Makhachev rejected talk that he was sidelined, stating, “I don’t have any injuries,” and adding, “I can show you the chats with my manager. He called me: ‘The White House event, a fight against Topuria’. And I said: ‘Let’s go’, right away.”
According to Makhachev, the negotiations quickly unraveled. “But then the next day [Ali] called me and said it’s cancelled. He told me that [Topuria] asked for some insane money, and that was it.” He continued, “The next morning they called back and said that Topuria wanted something like $20 million. He was turned down.”
Makhachev maintains he accepted the bout immediately on improved terms from the UFC. “I got a call in the morning and was offered the fight. I agreed without asking for anything. They offered me the fight themselves, with a higher purse,” he said. “[Ilia] claims that I pulled out because of the hand injury. It had nothing to do with the hand. I said ‘yes’ right away, without asking for more money and stuff like that.”
Fans had hoped for a Makhachev vs. Topuria superfight in 2025, but Makhachev’s move to welterweight delayed the matchup as matchmakers ultimately settled on Topuria vs. Gaethje to headline UFC Freedom 250.
