The money that was offered was small in comparison to what we had already said
In the weeks before the UFC's landmark White House event, the presence of lightweight champion Ilia Topuria on the card was never guaranteed — it was negotiated, stalled, abandoned, and then quietly revived. His manager's account reveals how the spectacle of sport is always underwritten by the quieter drama of commerce, and how even the most prestigious stages are built on agreements that can collapse before they are ever made.
- The UFC's initial offer for Topuria landed so far below expectations that his manager rejected it outright and heard nothing back — leaving the champion effectively off the card.
- By Wednesday afternoon, with the announcement looming, Topuria had no fight, no appearance, and no White House moment — his manager had accepted the silence as a final answer.
- Late Wednesday, the UFC returned to the table, reopening a negotiation that had seemed dead, and by Friday a deal was struck that placed Topuria in the card's most honored position.
- Dana White has pushed back on reports of a collapsed main event plan, but the near-miss underscores how fragile high-profile fight negotiations remain, with fighter compensation disputes continuing to shadow the UFC's biggest stages.
When Dana White announced the full card for the UFC's June 14 White House event, Ilia Topuria's name was on it — but only just. His manager, Malki Kawa, revealed this week that the lightweight champion came remarkably close to missing the most historically significant event the organization has staged in years.
The UFC had approached Topuria's camp about the card, but the initial offer fell well short of what Kawa believed his fighter was worth — especially compared to figures already discussed for other potential matchups. Kawa declined. Then the conversations stopped entirely. By Wednesday afternoon, with no deal in sight, he had quietly accepted that Topuria would sit this one out. He wasn't alone in his uncertainty — Justin Gaethje reportedly learned days before the announcement that he wasn't on the card either — but Kawa's account suggests the stalemate ran deeper and longer than the public knew.
Then, late Wednesday, the UFC came back. A new conversation began, and this time it moved. By late Friday, a deal was done. Topuria would not only appear on the card — he would be the last fighter to enter the octagon, the position of greatest honor on a night carrying real historical weight.
White has denied that a Topuria-Makhachev main event was ever planned and then scrapped. What remains undeniable is that the champion's place on the card was anything but certain, and the distance between his near-absence and his headline role is a quiet testament to how quickly the economics of combat sport can shift — and how much depends on a conversation that almost never happened.
When Dana White unveiled the full card for the UFC's historic June 14 event at the White House, Ilia Topuria's name was on it—but only barely. The lightweight champion nearly didn't make the trip to the nation's capital at all, according to his manager, Malki Kawa, who revealed this week that early negotiations between the fighter and the promotion had simply stalled out over money.
The UFC approached Topuria's camp about fighting on the White House card, one of the most prestigious events the organization has staged in years. But when the initial offer came across, it landed far short of what Kawa believed his fighter deserved. The number was small compared to what they had already discussed for other potential matchups. Kawa said no. Then silence.
By Wednesday afternoon, as Kawa tells it, there was no fight. No card appearance. No White House moment. The negotiations had gone nowhere, and he had made peace with the fact that Topuria would be sitting this one out. Other fighters faced similar uncertainty—Justin Gaethje was told days before the announcement that he wasn't on the card—but Kawa's account suggests the stalemate might have lasted longer than anyone outside the negotiating room realized.
Then, late that same Wednesday, the UFC came back. They asked if Topuria would be interested in fighting on the card after all. This time, apparently, the conversation went differently. By late Friday—just days before White's public announcement—a deal had been struck. Topuria was in.
White has denied reports that Topuria versus Islam Makhachev was ever planned as the main event before falling apart. What is clear is that the lightweight champion will be the last fighter to walk to the octagon on June 14, a position of honor on a card that carries real historical weight. But he almost wasn't there at all. The gap between that near-miss and his current spot on the card is a reminder of how fragile these negotiations can be, and how quickly they can shift when both sides find the right number.
Citações Notáveis
The money that was offered was small in comparison to what we had already said we wanted to fight those guys from before.— Malki Kawa, Topuria's manager, on the Anik & Florian Podcast
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So Topuria's manager is saying the UFC lowballed him initially and then just... stopped talking?
That's what Kawa described. They made an offer, he rejected it as too low, and then there was nothing. Radio silence for days.
And then what changed? Did the UFC suddenly decide to pay more?
Kawa doesn't say explicitly. He just says they came back Wednesday asking if Topuria would do it. By Friday it was done. Whether the money moved or something else shifted, he doesn't detail.
This seems like a pattern. Gaethje had the same experience—finding out late he wasn't on the card.
Right. It suggests the UFC was still sorting out the card very close to announcement. Or maybe testing the market, seeing who would accept what.
Does Kawa say why the initial offer was so low?
No. He just notes it was small compared to what they'd discussed for other fights. He doesn't speculate on the UFC's reasoning.
So Topuria ends up on the card anyway, in a prime spot. Does that feel like a win for his side?
Tactically, yes—he's the last fighter out, which is prestigious. But the whole thing happened under pressure and uncertainty. That's not ideal for a fighter preparing for a major event.