Islam Makhachev asserts he was ready to face Ilia Topuria on June 14 at the White House. The two-division champion states he immediately accepted the superfight, but other factors, beyond his control, led to its cancellation.
Topuria, the undisputed lightweight champion, is now scheduled to compete against the two-time interim 155-pound titleholder Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC Freedom 250.
Previously, various accounts from Ilia Topuria, his manager, and Islam Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, emerged regarding the reasons why this superfight between the two UFC two-division champions did not come to fruition. Makhachev has now presented his perspective on the situation.
Islam Makhachev Shares the Real Reason the White House Clash with Ilia Topuria Fell Through
In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, the Russian fighter stated that his hand was never injured, contrary to reports from Dana White and claims made by Topuria. These reports had been cited as the reason the pound-for-pound king could not accept a fight against “El Matador” on June 14.
Makhachev further asserted that he possesses text messages to substantiate his claim of not being injured and to debunk the false narratives circulating. The 34-year-old also suggested that Topuria’s request for “insane money” might have been the reason the UFC declined the fight.
“I don’t have any injuries… 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. 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. [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.”
Islam Makhachev is now reportedly expected to make the first defense of his welterweight title in August, with indications suggesting a potential bout against Ian Machado Garry.
Meanwhile, Topuria still has Makhachev in his sights. Following the lightweight title unification bout on June 14, “El Matador” intends to move up to challenge and unseat the welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king.
