UFC President Dana White has disputed Islam Makhachev’s narrative regarding the cancellation of his highly anticipated superfight with Ilia Topuria, aligning instead with Topuria’s team on the reasons behind the bout not happening at the White House event in June.
Dana White: “That’s Not True”
During a recent live stream appearance with Adin Ross, Dana White directly addressed whether Ilia Topuria’s financial demands prevented a June 14 showdown with Islam Makhachev at the White House. White firmly stated, “That’s not true,” refuting Makhachev’s assertion that Topuria’s salary expectations derailed the fight. The UFC CEO clarified that Makhachev is sidelined for June due to a hand injury and is expected to make his return later in the summer, with August being a likely timeframe.
Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria: Conflicting Narratives
For several weeks, Topuria has maintained that Makhachev’s injury was the sole reason their champion-versus-champion clash wouldn’t headline the landmark White House card. He recounted going to bed anticipating the Makhachev fight to be confirmed, only to awaken and discover he would instead defend his lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje on June 14. Makhachev, however, presented a different explanation, claiming Topuria’s “excessive” financial demands were the real hurdle, implying the Georgian-Spanish fighter withdrew from the potential matchup.
Manager Malki Kawa Details Negotiations
Ilia Topuria’s manager, Malki Kawa, recently shared his perspective on a podcast and in subsequent remarks. He stated that on a particular Wednesday, the UFC inquired whether his team preferred Justin Gaethje or Islam Makhachev for the White House main event, and they chose Makhachev.
Kawa revealed that the UFC’s initial financial offer was “too low” for them to consider, causing negotiations to stall. By that Friday, he added, the UFC returned with a revised proposal for a fight against Gaethje at the White House, as Makhachev was no longer an option due to a hand problem.
Kawa emphasized that a fight between Islam and Ilia could be “the biggest fight in UFC history,” and he requested what he considered a reasonable purse, not an exorbitant sum typically associated with boxing mega-events. He framed their rejection of the initial offer as standard negotiation tactics, not an avoidance of the fight, asserting it would be “foolish” to accept terms that didn’t reflect the significance of a champion-versus-champion bout.
Injury Timeline and Future Prospects
Dana White has publicly corroborated that Makhachev is indeed suffering from hand issues, which led to his removal from the June schedule. This aligns with earlier reports suggesting the welterweight champion has been managing a ligament injury from previous fights. Despite this, Makhachev’s recent training videos have sparked speculation about the severity of his injury, prompting welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry to suggest an August fight date and accuse Makhachev of sending inconsistent signals.
Ultimately, the situation appears less like an intentional avoidance of the fight and more like a high-stakes agreement that failed to materialize. The UFC attempted to quickly shift from an initial modest offer to a White House headliner, but the combination of Makhachev’s hand injury and Topuria’s camp demanding what they considered fair champion-versus-champion compensation prevented the two sides from fully aligning. With Malki Kawa openly seeking a larger payday and Makhachev publicly expressing interest in major fights across various weight classes, both individuals have clearly indicated their desire for this matchup under the right conditions, rather than shying away from it.
For the time being, Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14 will feature Ilia Topuria defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje. Fans will have to await Makhachev’s eventual return later in the year to see if the highly anticipated Islam-Ilia superfight can be rekindled.
