Ilia Topuria will face Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout at the UFC’s planned White House event, with CEO Dana White dismissing speculation that Topuria was originally set to fight Islam Makhachev.
The bout was confirmed during the UFC 326 broadcast on Saturday, with Topuria and Gaethje headlining the event titled Freedom 250 on June 14 as part of Donald Trump’s America 250 celebration. The fight will unify Topuria’s lightweight title with the interim belt Gaethje won after defeating Paddy Pimblett earlier this year.
Rumours quickly circulated following the announcement that the promotion had initially planned a different matchup involving former lightweight champion Makhachev, but White rejected that claim to the media. “That’s not true,” White said about Makhachev vs. Topuria.
White confirmed that Gaethje was not originally scheduled to appear on the card and that late changes led to the final lineup. “That is true [Justin Gaethje wasn’t originally on the card]. It was never Islam versus Topuria. Don’t worry about what fights are being made. We announced which ones are made and which ones will be happening. I told you there were some weird circumstances,” White said.
He added that the promotion had to quickly reorganise the event after a fight fell through during a Power Slap event the night before the announcement. “The reason that fight fell out and it wasn’t up on stage with Mick [Maynard], Hunter [Campbell] and Sean [Shelby], it was at Power Slap that the fight fell apart that night and all the boys went back to the office and were there until literally 9 in the morning and that’s how Gaethje ended up on the card. Topuria wasn’t originally supposed to be on the card either. So he got the call, too,” White explained.
Gaethje had previously said he was told days earlier that he would not be competing at the White House event before receiving confirmation shortly before the official announcement that he would face Topuria in the main event.
Makhachev, who now holds the UFC welterweight title, is currently observing Ramadan and dealing with an injury that may delay his return. “He’s got some hand issues,” White said about Makhachev. “I know that. I don’t know how serious the hand issues are or how long that will keep him out but he’s injured.”
