The claim quickly spread among fans, but it was later clarified that the story was inaccurate. The confusion began after a report from MMA journalist Irati Prat of *MMA Marca*, which stated that the planned main event for the upcoming UFC White House event was originally supposed to feature Makhachev against Ilia Topuria. According to the report, the matchup allegedly fell apart at the last minute, leading to Justin Gaethje stepping in to fight Topuria for the lightweight title. The report gained even more traction after Dana White mentioned during a Power Slap event that a fight on the White House card had been canceled. Many fans quickly assumed that the canceled bout involved Makhachev withdrawing from a fight with Topuria, which fueled accusations online that he had avoided the matchup. However, White addressed the situation during the post-fight press conference for Zuffa Boxing 4 in Las Vegas and dismissed those claims. The UFC president clarified that Makhachev was never scheduled to face Topuria on the White House card and therefore did not withdraw from the fight. White also explained that the reigning champion is currently dealing with an injury. According to White, Makhachev has been experiencing problems with his hand. He said the fighter is dealing with hand issues, although the exact severity and recovery timeline remain unclear. The injury is significant enough that it could keep him sidelined for an unknown period. While the specific moment when the injury occurred has not been confirmed, Makhachev previously dealt with a similar problem after his June 2024 bout with Dustin Poirier. Following that fight, the Dagestani fighter suffered a partial ligament tear in his hand. The injury reportedly resulted directly from the contest and continued to bother him long after the fight ended. During recovery, he underwent rehabilitation and wore a brace for support. That injury also disrupted his schedule at the time. It postponed his planned lightweight title defense against Arman Tsarukyan, which had been targeted for January 2025. Tsarukyan later withdrew from the matchup, forcing the UFC to arrange a short-notice replacement. As a result, Makhachev ended up defending his belt against Renato Moicano instead. Since then, Makhachev has moved up to the welterweight division. In that weight class, he faced Jack Della Maddalena and secured a victory that made him a two-division UFC champion. Speculation about his next opponent has already begun. Ian Machado Garry has openly pushed for a fight against Makhachev. However, Makhachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has publicly denied that such a bout is currently being arranged. Other names have also surfaced as potential challengers. Fighters like Michael Morales and former champion Kamaru Usman have been mentioned as possible opponents, though no official announcements have been made. Makhachev’s ongoing hand issues appear to be complicating the process of scheduling his next fight. Regarding the speculation about a clash with Topuria at the White House event, Makhachev himself had already addressed the possibility earlier. Speaking in an interview with Ushatayka, he suggested that the fight was unlikely to happen, at least for the time being. Makhachev explained that Topuria already has an opponent lined up, and according to him, the UFC is not currently interested in arranging that matchup. He also mentioned that discussions are still ongoing about when his next fight will take place. While he indicated that the White House card was unlikely to feature him, he did not completely rule out the possibility of competing around that same time frame if circumstances change. For now, the welterweight champion appears to be focused on recovering from his hand injury. Until his condition improves, the timeline for his return to the octagon—and the identity of his next opponent—remains uncertain.