A potential superfight between Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria was reportedly discussed for the UFC’s upcoming White House event before the promotion ultimately booked Topuria against Justin Gaethje.
The rumor surfaced Sunday when Spanish MMA journalist Irati Prat reported on X that there had been a real possibility of Makhachev facing Topuria on the historic card. According to Prat, discussions had taken place around the matchup before the UFC finalized a different opponent for Topuria.
The proposed bout would have taken place at welterweight, with Topuria moving up in weight to challenge Makhachev. The potential matchup quickly generated buzz across MMA social media, as it would have featured two of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters on one of the most unique cards in UFC history.
Makhachev has long been one of the UFC’s most dominant champions, building his reputation during a lengthy run as lightweight champion. Topuria has quickly emerged as one of the promotion’s biggest stars, remaining undefeated while capturing titles across multiple divisions.
Despite the speculation, the fight never materialized. The UFC instead moved forward with a matchup between Topuria and Gaethje to headline the event.
Gaethje later revealed he was not initially aware he would be fighting on the card and only found out about the matchup at the last moment once the promotion finalized plans for the event.
The late notice helped fuel speculation that the UFC had been exploring other options for Topuria before ultimately settling on Gaethje.
The White House card is expected to be one of the most unique events in UFC history, with the promotion planning to stage the fights on the grounds of The White House as part of celebrations surrounding the 250th anniversary of the United States.
While the rumored fight between Makhachev and Topuria never came together, the report offered a glimpse into the high-profile matchup that was at least briefly considered before the UFC finalized the card.