Islam
Makhachev says he will fight Ilia
Topuria for free someday.
UFC fans have been eagerly waiting for a matchup between
Makhachev (28-1) and Topuria (17-0) for a while now. When Dana
White promised one of the biggest possible matchups at the White
House, fans inevitably thought of Makhachev and Topuria.
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However, Justin
Gaethje is now scheduled to challenge Topuria in a lightweight
title unifier in the main event at
UFC White House on June 14. Soon after the card was announced,
rumours surfaced that the original plan was to book Makhachev vs.
Topuria for the welterweight title at the White House. Makhachev
allegedly withdrew from the matchup a day before the card was
announced. Dana White refuted the rumor that Makhachev vs. Topuria
was the original plan. However, the UFC head honcho says that
Makhachev is injured.
‘We’ll Do It For Free’
Meanwhile, Topuria recently accused Makhachev of making an excuse
to duck him. “El Matador” claims he didn’t hesitate for a second
before accepting the booking against Makhachev. However, a day
later, Topuria was allegedly informed that Makhachev was
injured. Makhachev didn’t take long to respond to the
accusations, claiming both parties know who chickened out.
Makhachev vows to give Topuria what he asked for someday. The
welterweight champion also hinted that Topuria was asking for a
hefty payday to fight him.
“We both know who chickened out here,” Makhachev wrote on social
media. “You can cover your cowardice with nasty tweets, but don’t
worry, one day you will get what you asked for! and your fat
ass manager don’t have to ask for billions to fight me, we’ll do it
for free.”
We both know who chickened out here 😉 you
can cover your cowardice with nasty tweets, but don’t worry, one
day you will get what you asked for! and your fat ass manager don’t
have to ask for billions to fight me, we’ll do it for free.
https://t.co/PTCJxG0gTv— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA)
March 10, 2026