UFC President Dana White has contradicted Islam Makhachev’s account regarding the aborted superfight with Ilia Topuria, aligning instead with Topuria’s team on the reasons why the highly anticipated bout will not take place at the White House card in June.
Dana White Clarifies: “That’s Not True”
White publicly denied Makhachev’s claim that Topuria’s financial demands scuttled the fight. Speaking during a recent appearance, White clarified, “That’s not true,” regarding Topuria pricing himself out of a June 14 fight. Instead, White revealed that Makhachev is sidelined from the June event due to a hand injury and is anticipated to return to action later in the summer, with August being a realistic timeframe.
Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria: Conflicting Stories
The two champions have presented conflicting narratives about the fight’s cancellation. Topuria had maintained for weeks that Makhachev’s injury was the sole reason their champion-versus-champion showdown wouldn’t headline the historic White House event. He stated he went to bed expecting the Makhachev fight to be finalized, only to wake up and discover he would instead defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje on June 14. Makhachev, however, offered a different explanation, asserting that Topuria’s “excessive” financial demands were the actual impediment and implying the Georgian-Spanish star backed out of the matchup.
Manager Malki Kawa Details Negotiations
Topuria’s manager, Malki Kawa, elaborated on his side of the story. He recounted that the UFC initially asked their team on a Wednesday whether they preferred Justin Gaethje or Islam Makhachev for the White House main event, and they opted for Makhachev. According to Kawa, the promotion’s initial financial offer was “so low” that they immediately rejected it, causing talks to stall. By Friday of the same week, the UFC presented a new offer centered around the Gaethje fight for the White House event, as Makhachev was by then unavailable due to a hand issue.
Kawa emphasized that a fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria could be “the biggest fight in UFC history.” He stated he requested a “reasonable purse” rather than an exorbitant sum, clarifying it was nowhere near the mega-figures seen in major boxing events. He framed their rejection of the initial proposal as standard negotiation, not an act of “ducking,” arguing he would be “a fool” to accept terms that did not adequately reflect the magnitude of a champion-versus-champion clash.
Injury Timeline and Future Prospects
Dana White has consistently confirmed Makhachev’s ongoing hand problems, which forced his withdrawal from the June plans. This aligns with earlier reports suggesting the lightweight champion has been managing a persistent ligament issue from previous fights. While Makhachev has shared training footage that sparked debate about the severity of his injury, welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry has publicly urged for an August fight date and accused the champion of sending mixed signals.
Ultimately, the situation appears less like a deliberate evasion and more like a high-stakes deal that failed to materialize. The UFC seemingly attempted to quickly pivot from an initial low-ball offer to a White House headliner. Still, the confluence of Makhachev’s hand injury and Topuria’s team pushing for what they considered fair compensation for a champion-versus-champion bout meant the parties never fully aligned. Both Malki Kawa, openly seeking a larger payday, and Makhachev, publicly calling for significant fights across divisions, have made it clear they desire this matchup under the right conditions, rather than avoiding each other.
For now, Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14 will proceed with Ilia Topuria versus Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title. Fans will have to wait to see if the UFC can arrange Makhachev’s return later in the year and potentially revisit the Islam-Ilia superfight in the future.
