Ilia Topuria blames UFC for Islam Makhachev superfight not happening next

Ilia Topuria expressed a strong desire to face fellow UFC champion Islam Makhachev in a superfight, but he believes the promotion itself is unwilling to make the matchup happen. The two champions and their representatives have engaged in ongoing negotiations, with fingers pointing in different directions over why a June 14 White House card clash never materialized. Topuria told DeepCut that he does not hold Makhachev responsible for the failed negotiation, instead placing blame squarely on the UFC's reluctance to prioritize the fight. While Topuria acknowledged the difficulty of telling the promotion how to structure its business, he remains convinced that a lack of promotional interest is the core issue preventing two of the sport's most dominant champions from meeting in the octagon.