Rumors surrounding a potential superfight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria have been shut down by Dana White, who says the bout was never under consideration for the upcoming UFC event at the White House on June 14.
Speculation began circulating over the weekend following the broadcast of UFC 326, when several high-profile fights were announced for the historic card. The event, dubbed “Freedom 250,” already features a number of marquee matchups.
Headlining the event will be a lightweight title unification bout between 155-pound king Topuria (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC). The co-main event is also set to make headlines, with former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) moving up to heavyweight to face Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) for the interim heavyweight championship.
Prior to the broadcast of UFC 326, White revealed that a previously planned fight had fallen off the Freedom 250 card at the last minute. However, he declined to disclose which bout had been removed. That silence fueled speculation that the cancelled matchup involved Makhachev and Topuria, especially after Gaethje revealed in an interview that he had only been informed on Friday that he would be competing on the card.
The rumor quickly gained traction among fans and media, suggesting that Makhachev had originally been scheduled to face Topuria before the fight was scrapped.
White addressed the speculation during a post-fight press conference for a Zuffa boxing event on Sunday and firmly denied the claim.
“That’s not true,” White said. “It was never Islam vs. Topuria. Don’t worry about what fights are being made. We announce which ones are made and which ones will be happening.”
While dismissing the rumored matchup, White did provide a brief update on Makhachev’s status. According to the UFC president, the champion is currently dealing with a hand injury, though the severity remains unclear.
“I don’t know,” White said when asked about Makhachev’s potential return. “He’s got some hand issues, I know that. I don’t know how serious the hand issues are or how long that will keep him out, but yeah, he’s injured.”
