Dana White Clears Air Around Wild Islam Makhachev ‘Ducking’ Ilia Topuria for UFC White House Event 

UFC CEO Dana White talks about the rumors surrounding Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria almost getting booked for the White House event.

Dana White Clears Air Around Wild Islam Makhachev ‘Ducking’ Ilia Topuria for UFC White House Event 

Dana White shut down Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria rumors (via X)

In Short
  • Dana White confirmed that there was never a planned fight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria for the UFC White House event.
  • Ilia Topuria will now face Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout at UFC 326.
  • Makhachev is recovering from hand surgery and was not part of the original fight card planning.

The UFC White House event was widely discussed for several months, and recently, fans finally received a clearer picture on the fight card. During the UFC 326 main card broadcast, the promotion officially revealed the full White House event fight card.

In the main event, Ilia Topuria will face interim champion Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout. However, reports earlier suggested the UFC initially planned to book a massive superfight between Topuria and Islam Makhachev.

Unfortunately, negotiations between the camps did not progress successfully, which forced the promotion to move forward with Gaethje against Topuria. During a recent press conference, Dana White, strongly shut down those rumors and dismissed claims surrounding Topuria versus Islam Makhachev negotiations.

That’s not true. It was never Islam vs Topuria. Don’t worry about what fights are being made, we announce which ones are made.

Dana White via Zuffa Boxing presser 

Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria have been linked for a long time, with both fighters exchanging several heated trash-talking moments. Both champions even achieved double champion status last year, and openly showed interest in eventually fighting each other inside the octagon.

At one point, rumors began circulating that the Dagestani champion was ducking Topuria while focusing more on potential welterweight title defenses. However, according to Dana White, the promotion never seriously planned the matchup for the White House card despite widespread speculation.

The UFC boss also explained that Topuria himself was added to the historic event very late during the planning stages. The UFC CEO further revealed that Makhachev was undergoing hand surgery and would return once he fully recovered.

Nevertheless, it now appears that Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria will headline the event, and the excitement surrounding the fight continues growing. Despite the hype, some fans criticized the card because major stars like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones were missing.

Dana White even went on a rant explaining why Jon Jones was never considered a suitable option for the event. He also shared that discussions with Conor McGregor were ongoing regarding the Irish superstar’s long-awaited return to competition.

UFC star imagining Ilia Topuria’s potential knockout victory at the White House event 

In the main event of UFC 326, Max Holloway faced Charles Oliveira in a highly anticipated BMF title fight. The excitement surrounding the matchup was massive as fans expected a wild war between two legendary and aggressive fighters. However, the bout surprisingly turned out to be quite anticlimactic compared to the explosive expectations many fans originally had.

Ilia Topuria will be fighting Justin Gaethje at UFC 326
Ilia Topuria will be fighting Justin Gaethje at UFC 326 (via X)

Charles Oliveira chose a cautious and controlled strategy, repeatedly taking Holloway down during almost every round of the fight. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist constantly searched for submissions and prevented Holloway from building any meaningful offensive momentum.

Ultimately, ‘Do Bronx’ secured a unanimous decision victory and became emotional while speaking after the fight inside the octagon. Interestingly, both fighters had previously suffered knockout losses against Ilia Topuria but managed to bounce back afterwards. UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley was also present at the event and later shared his opinion about the fight.

It’s crazy Ilia knocked both these guys out cold. Imagine he knocks out Gaethje too. 4 KOs in a row, Volk, Max, Charles, Gaethje…

Sean O’Malley via his YouTube channel 

Gaethje, in his last bout, beat Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision to win the belt, but couldn’t knock the Scouser. ‘The Highlight’ doesn’t mind a scrap and will likely meet Topuria right in the middle of the Octagon to trade bombs. It will be interesting to see whether ‘El Matador’ can continue his frightening knockout streak against the dangerous Justin Gaethje.

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