Ilia Topuria says the path to his UFC White House fight with Justin Gaethje changed late. The lightweight champion said he expected Paddy Pimblett to beat Gaethje in the interim title fight, then said the UFC originally told him he would be facing Islam Makhachev before the plan switched.
Topuria heads into the event after beating Charles Oliveira to secure his place at the top of the division, while Gaethje earned his slot by beating Pimblett for the interim belt. Makhachev had already been tied to the same title picture, which is why this latest version of the timeline adds another layer to the same White House fight dispute.
Topuria first admitted he did not expect Gaethje to come through against Pimblett.
“I’m surprised, because I thought Paddy was going to win that fight against Justin.”
Pimblett had been linked to Topuria for months because of their rivalry, but Gaethje changed the title picture when he beat Pimblett and took the interim belt. That result also cut across the idea of Topuria settling unfinished business with Pimblett after all the talk surrounding their matchup, including Pimblett’s own confidence that Gaethje could shake up the title picture.
Ilia Topuria says Islam Makhachev was the fight he was first offered
Topuria also gave his version of how the booking changed. According to him, Islam Makhachev was the first name he got from the UFC before everything turned in the middle of the night. That matters because Makhachev has remained attached to Topuria’s championship future through every step of this stretch, whether the talk was about timing, money, or who actually turned what down.
“Before I get the confirmation to fight against Justin, I was supposed to fight against Islam. So, Dana said that he was about to make the announcements of the White House card, and myself, from the call that I got from the UFC, I knew that I was fighting Islam. The first fight they offered me was against Islam. So, I went to sleep, and in the middle of the night, I got, I don’t know, 100 calls from the UFC like, ‘Listen, he’s injured, and you’re going to face Justin.’”
Dana White publicly disputed that version of events, and Makhachev’s side has also pushed back on the idea that the fight was lined up in that form. The division stayed tangled after Topuria’s manager said the negotiations shifted and Islam was never the actual option in the end. That only adds to the same lightweight mess, especially with Topuria already publicly predicting a fast knockout over Gaethje.
Topuria also made clear that he is not burning energy on the part he cannot control, even if he still expects the Makhachev fight to happen later.
“I can’t feel disappointment, because things are out of my control. I don’t involve any emotions in the things that are out of my control. If the fight is going to happen, it’s going to happen. If not, it’s not going to happen. I think it’s going to happen at some point. I hope so, at least. And hopefully, it’s going to at the end of the year. After this fight, who knows? Maybe we’re going to get that fight, finally.”
Topuria now heads into the White House event against Gaethje, but he made clear that Makhachev remains part of his plans if the timing works out later this year. If Topuria gets through Gaethje after Oliveira and if Makhachev stays in the same orbit, the UFC may have to circle right back to the matchup that has been hanging over this division the whole time.
