All articles tagged with #ilia topuria
Ilia Topuria’s manager Malki Kawa says Islam Makhachev was never an actual option for the UFC White House card; negotiations ultimately centered on a Gaethje fight after Makhachev was sidelined by an injury, with Topuria still eyeing a future showdown with Makhachev and ongoing talks about pay and terms.
Islam Makhachev’s manager says a potential champ-champ bout with Ilia Topuria never got close, as the UFC shifted toward a summer welterweight title defense while Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the lightweight unification is set for June 14. There was talk of stripping Topuria to crown an undisputed 170-pound champ with Gaethje vs. Arman Tsarukyan if the Topuria fight didn’t happen, and the UFC is expected to announce the actual challenger for Makhachev’s 170-pound title in mid-2026, with names like Ian Garry, Michael Morales, or Kamaru Usman floated.
Islam Makhachev is set to return in July to headline UFC's International Fight Week in Las Vegas, with a No. 1 contender bout planned for the summer. A fight with Ilia Topuria was discussed but ultimately not pursued due to negotiations, and the UFC is expected to announce the July opponent soon.
Ilia Topuria blasted Islam Makhachev for missing a potential superfight and not appearing at the UFC White House event, claiming Makhachev cited an injury; Makhachev replied after Topuria’s posts, and Dana White said neither fighter was guaranteed to headline. Makhachev holds the 170-pound belt after beating Della Maddalena, while Topuria remains focused on a future title run and is set to face Gaethje on June 14.
Amid rumors of a last-minute, lowball offer for UFC’s White House card, Ilia Topuria’s team rejected early numbers, but Topuria ultimately secured the main-event slot on UFC 326, with his manager suggesting the promotion’s offer was far below what they sought and UFC had briefly explored different matchups before finalizing the card.
Topuria’s manager says early talks to include him on the UFC White House card stalled after a low offer; after late Friday and then Wednesday negotiations, they rejected the initial money and later agreed to face Islam Makhachev (over Gaethje) as pay improved, with White confirming the matchup wasn’t officially finalized at first and Topuria still set to be the last to walk out on June 14.
Gaethje says he was told days before the White House card that he wouldn’t fight, then learned he would headline against Ilia Topuria at UFC 326, as he prepares for a dangerous matchup and a potential legacy moment in the historic event.
Dana White rejected reports that Islam Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria was the last-minute headliner for the UFC White House show, confirming instead that Ilia Topuria will face Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification and noting Makhachev’s hand injury. He also said Topuria wasn’t initially supposed to be on the card and that the late changes stemmed from another issue at Power Slap, with more UFC events expected to be announced soon.
Opening odds for UFC White House show Ilia Topuria as a massive -550 favorite to defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje, while Ciryl Gane is favored to win the interim heavyweight title against Alex Pereira (-180 vs +155); the six-fight card features several wide bets, including Sean O’Malley, Mauricio Ruffy, Michael Chandler, Bo Nickal, and others expected to win.
Dana White denied reports that Islam Makhachev was slated to fight Ilia Topuria on the UFC White House card, confirming instead that Topuria will headline a lightweight title unification bout with Justin Gaethje. Makhachev is sidelined by a hand injury and Ramadan obligations, while Topuria and Gaethje were late additions after a chaotic build‑up following a Power Slap event; the card is set for June 14 as part of the America 250 celebration.
Dana White said Jon Jones was never considered for UFC's White House card, a claim Jones publicly disputed; the June event will instead feature Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, with Alex Pereira vs Ciryl Gane serving as the co-feature for the interim heavyweight title, while Jones remains inactive since 2024 amid retirement talk.
Ilia Topuria returns to headline the UFC's White House–themed Freedom 250 card against Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout, with Alex Pereira moving to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane for an interim title, and a stacked lineup including Sean O’Malley vs Zahabi, Bo Nickal vs Daukaus, and Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia.
UFC officials reportedly bench No. 2 welterweight Ian Garry to clear a path for a 'much bigger' Islam Makhachev bout, with two likely options – a champion vs. champion showdown with Ilia Topuria or a Conor McGregor headliner – keeping Garry's title odds unclear and a final call expected by the end of the week.
Ilia Topuria dismisses Arman Tsarukyan as his toughest test and says he’d fight him if the UFC asks, even as he eyes a lightweight title defense against interim champ Justin Gaethje. Tsarukyan, riding a five‑fight win streak and once a backup for Topuria’s vacant title bout, has pressed for a title shot, but Topuria argues there are no easy fights and even suggested he’d fight both Gaethje and Tsarukyan if the UFC wanted.
Matt Brown questions UFC’s plan for a mega White House card on June 14, arguing the roster lacks enough star power—especially without Conor McGregor—to live up to the hype and doubting a six- to seven-fight lineup could be the biggest ever. He also questions a Jones-Pereira main event, notes the scarcity of top American stars for the event, and suggests Gaethje vs. Topuria might be the strongest matchup, though it may still fall short of expectations.