The biggest fight the UFC could have made for its historic White House card may have slipped away, and now there are two very different stories about what happened. A clash between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev had all the ingredients for fireworks: two pound-for-pound elites, a clash of styles, undefeated momentum on one side, dominance on the other, and real stakes across divisions.

Instead, Topuria now faces Justin Gaethje for a lightweight title unification in the main event on June 14. While questions continue to swirl around what actually happened behind the scenes, one version comes from Colby Covington, who recently claimed the deal collapsed over money during a conversation with streamer Neon (N3on).

“I heard it was to Topuria-Makhachev,” the UFC welterweight said. “Yeah, I heard Makhachev priced himself out. He asked for too much money, and they couldn’t get the deal done last minute.”

That’s a strong claim, especially when placed against the UFC’s official stance that Makhachev is out of action due to a hand injury. The truth likely sits somewhere in between, but the timing raises eyebrows.

Dana White himself admitted that a fight “literally just” fell out while the promotion was finalizing the White House card. Around the same time, footage surfaced of UFC executives Mick Maynard, Hunter Campbell, and Sean Shelby reacting to the news during the UFC 326 weigh-ins, suggesting something significant had indeed collapsed just before the announcement.

If Covington’s claim is accurate, it points to a familiar tension in modern MMA: elite fighters recognizing their value and pushing for bigger paydays, especially with events like the White House card expected to generate global attention. But there’s also the back-and-forth between the fighters themselves.

Topuria has publicly accused Islam Makhachev of avoiding the fight, while the Dagestani fired back, suggesting the other side wasn’t exactly easy to deal with either.

“We both know who chickened out here,” the welterweight champion wrote on X. “You can cover your cowardice with nasty tweets, but don’t worry, one day you will get what you asked for! And your fat a- manager don’t have to ask for billions to fight me, we’ll do it for free.”

Whether it was money, injury, or negotiation breakdowns, the UFC White House card lost a fight that could have likely defined 2026. However, there’s another name that is questioning Islam Makhachev’s injury narrative: Ian Machado Garry.

Islam Makhachev’s reported hand injury dismissed as “excuses” by Ian Machado Garry

Ian Machado Garry isn’t buying the injury explanation, and he’s making that clear as he pushes for his own shot at the title. While the UFC has pointed to a hand injury as the reason Islam Makhachev couldn’t make the White House card, Garry sees something else entirely.

“I heard that too, but I don’t believe it,” Garry said on Instagram. “I don’t know what to believe. I can’t imagine he hurt his hand in the last fight with Jack. So maybe he did it in horse riding? I don’t know. I don’t believe it. I think it’s excuses.”

Instead, the Irishman floated a different theory, one rooted in how champions often manage risk. He suggested that inactivity can sometimes be strategic, a way to hold onto the belt while waiting for the right matchup. In his words, it’s “the typical thing that all champions do… maintain their position” rather than take unnecessary risks.

After suffering his first career loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov, Garry has bounced back with consecutive wins, including a notable victory over former champion Belal Muhammad. Those results have pushed him back into the title conversation, even if others, like Kamaru Usman, are also circling the same opportunity.

So, what should have been a defining fight for the White House card has instead turned into a debate about timing, money, and intent. Colby Covington’s claim that Islam Makhachev “priced himself out” paints one picture, while the UFC’s injury explanation tells another. Then you have Ilia Topuria accusing him of avoiding the fight, and Ian Machado Garry openly questioning whether the injury is even real. Somewhere in all of that noise, the truth likely sits in pieces rather than one clean answer.