Reports had recently circulated, notably from Marca’s Irati Prat, suggesting that the UFC was organizing a highly anticipated super-fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. This bout was reportedly scheduled for June 14, to be held at the White House. Prat claimed the agreement was finalized until the UFC was informed last Friday that Makhachev would not be available to fight at the White House event. However, the official fight card for UFC Freedom 250 has since been unveiled, featuring Ilia Topuria, known as “El Matador,” headlining a lightweight title unification bout against Justin Gaethje. Islam Makhachev is conspicuously absent from this special event.
UFC President Dana White has directly addressed these speculations during the Zuffa Boxing 04 post-fight press conference. White emphatically denied that a fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria was ever in the plans for the White House event. He also revealed that Makhachev is currently recovering from a hand injury, leaving the timeline for his return to defend his 155-pound championship uncertain.
White clarified that both Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria were only notified of their potential participation in the White House event shortly before the UFC Freedom 250 fight list was announced. He stressed that the UFC officially announces fights only once they are confirmed.
Here is Dana White’s statement regarding the rumors:
“That’s not true. It was never Islam vs. Topuria. Don’t worry about what fights are being made, we announce which ones are made and which ones will be happening… He [Islam Makhachev] has some hand issues. I don’t know how serious the hand issues are and how long that will keep him out. But he is injured.”
While White dispelled the rumor concerning Makhachev vs. Topuria, he did not disclose which specific fight, if any, was originally slated for the June 14 lineup and subsequently canceled.
Adding another layer to the situation, Justin Gaethje commented on his own experience. He stated that he was initially informed last Thursday that he would not be fighting at the UFC White House event. However, just one day later, on Friday, the UFC contacted him again to suggest that he might, in fact, be included on the card.