Makhachev says he accepted Topuria fight instantly before manager's pay demand killed the booking

Islam Makhachev insists he never turned down a fight with Ilia Topuria, placing the blame for the collapsed UFC White House booking squarely on Topuria’s manager, Malki Kawa, who he claims demanded an excessive purse that ended negotiations before they could begin.

Topuria is instead set to defend his lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje at UFC White House: Freedom 250 on Sunday — a card that, according to reports, was originally planned to feature Topuria challenging Makhachev for the welterweight belt.

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, Makhachev described the sequence of events in detail. His manager Ali Abdelaziz called to offer him the Topuria fight, and Makhachev says he accepted on the spot. “I said, ‘Let’s go,’ right away,” he explained. “I didn’t even ask for it, but Ali said that the pay would be higher because it was the White House. And I said, ‘It’s even better.’” The following day, Abdelaziz called back to say the booking was off — Topuria’s camp had asked for money the promotion was not willing to meet.

Makhachev pointed to Kawa’s own public comments as corroboration. “His manager himself said it in an interview, ‘The money we were offered for the fight was not enough, so we turned it down,’” Makhachev said. “Ilia may say whatever he wants, but it was his manager who negotiated.”

Kawa has not disputed that pay was the sticking point, acknowledging that Topuria’s camp had initially preferred Makhachev over Gaethje but felt the offer did not reflect the scale of the matchup.

The dispute puts three separate accounts in circulation. Topuria initially suggested Makhachev was the obstacle. UFC president Dana White stated that Makhachev was sidelined by a hand injury. Makhachev has consistently and flatly denied both claims, and has now provided a direct quote from his own conversation with Abdelaziz to support his version.

With Topuria now committed to the Gaethje defence, a Makhachev showdown — one of the most anticipated potential superfights in the lightweight and welterweight divisions — remains on hold, its timeline unclear.