All articles tagged with #ilia topuria
Crews are building a temporary 5,000-seat UFC arena on the White House South Lawn for UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, part of America's 250th anniversary celebrations; UFC is paying most costs (over $60 million) with federal and local agencies handling security, and weigh-ins are planned at the Lincoln Memorial, with a custom lighting structure backdrop for the White House.
Dana White is on the TIME cover in a feature about his rise and the UFC’s historic White House visit slated for June 14, headlined by Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title; White reveals he tried to book a women’s strawweight title bout (Mackenzie Dern vs. Zhang Weili) but couldn’t get it done, while Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane will contest the interim heavyweight title, and the piece explores White’s lengthy relationship with President Trump.
UFC star Ilia Topuria and boxing contender Ryan Garcia traded heated remarks about a hypothetical boxing bout. Topuria claimed he could beat Garcia in a boxing ring and even pursue boxing someday, while Garcia dismissed him as a hype MMA striker and warned he’d be stopped. The exchange referenced Garcia’s past Ostarine positive test and suspension. Real cross‑over talk remains unlikely while Topuria is under UFC contract, though Garcia has a September bout with Conor Benn scheduled.
Derrick Lewis described UFC White House press conference as one of the craziest he’s been involved in after Josh Hokit, adopting a pro‑wrestling persona, peppered the stage with rhyming insults. Hokit’s antics drew ire from Ilia Topuria and led to his removal from the presser. Lewis said he couldn’t hear Hokit and doesn’t know much about him. The event, set for June 14, features Topuria vs. Gaethje in the headlining lightweight bout.
At the UFC Freedom 250 press conference in Newark, Ilia Topuria interrupted Josh Hokit’s taunts at Alex Pereira, leading to Hokit being escorted off stage by security after a heated exchange that included Topuria hitting an unidentified object from the table. Pereira tried to defuse the tension as chaos swirled around, with Sean O’Malley seated amid the disturbance. The event’s headliner features Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, while Pereira moves up to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane in the co‑main, along with a loaded undercard.
Josh Hokit was removed from the UFC White House press conference in Newark after a verbal altercation with Ilia Topuria; Dana White intervened and Hokit was later absent from the on-stage face-offs.
Carlos Prates believes a win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth could earn him a welterweight title shot by beating two former champs in a row, dismisses a future clash with Kamaru Usman, and jokingly addresses Ilia Topuria potentially jumping to welterweight (even suggesting a lightweight move) before waiting to see how the belt picture unfolds.
Jake Paul says Ilia Topuria is too small for boxing and would still beat him in a bout, calling the 5'5" contender a joke and noting Topuria can’t “even ride a roller coaster.” The exchange stems from a past height/skill jab, with Paul offering to spar (even $1 million for Paddy Pimblett) but nothing ever happening. Topuria is focused on unifying his UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje, while Paul remains open to a fight if it arises, including a potential MMA matchup, though no deals are in place.
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.