Islam Makhachev has reignited the controversy with Ilia Topuria after posting a new message on his official X account in which he directly accuses the Spanish-Georgian champion of having withdrawn from a possible fight between the two. The UFC lightweight champion responded to Topuria's recent statements in different interviews in which he insinuated that the fight between the two had not occurred due to external decisions.
In his message, Makhachev said that he accepted the proposal to fight in an event related to the White House, but that the situation changed when Topuria's team requested a financial purse that the UFC considered too high. According to the Dagestani fighter, the organization rejected that figure and later Topuria himself ended up abandoning the negotiations.
The Russian champion was especially direct in his message and stated that he is tired of hearing contradictory versions of what happened. He also mentioned that even Topuria's representative would have confirmed what happened during the negotiation process.
In the tweet published on his official account, Makhachev wrote: "I'm tired of hearing made-up stories from Topuria and his team. I got the call and accepted the fight at the White House. The next day, I was told he asked for an unrealistic purse. The UFC declined, and he pulled out. That's it nothing more to it. Even his manager confirmed it. Ilia, stop talking. Every interview you give tells a different story. You pulled out, and you know it."
The lightweight champion's message has generated a strong reaction among fans and analysts of the MMA, who are closely following the exchange of statements between the two fighters. The potential superfight between Makhachev and Topuria has become one of the most talked-about matchups within the sports community in recent months.
For now, the UFC has not officially announced a fight between the two champions, but public statements continue to fuel the expectation of a possible matchup between two of the organization's most dominant fighters.