How many millions did Ilia Topuria demand for a fight against Islam Makhachev?

Secrets surrounding a major financial dispute and a title unification bout in the world of the UFC, the most prestigious mixed martial arts promotion, have been revealed. The reasons behind the cancellation of the main event for the highly anticipated "UFC Freedom 250" anniversary tournament in the US, and why a completely different pair will step into the octagon, have come to light. It has been disclosed that the renowned undefeated Spanish fighter Ilia Topuria demanded an astronomical sum for the expected super-fight against the Russian lightweight king Islam Makhachev.

A $20 million demand and a rejected deal

Current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev detailed this incident, which caused significant discussion in German and Spanish sports media, in an exclusive interview with famous blogger Adam Zubayraev. It turns out that the league management did everything in its power to organize the mega-fight between the two champions.

Islam Makhachev described the secret negotiations as follows:

«The league officials contacted me and offered a fight against Ilia Topuria. I agreed to the offer without any hesitation. However, the next day, the organizers called again and said the situation had changed. It turns out that "El Matador" (Topuria) demanded a guaranteed purse of exactly $20 million for this clash. Since the UFC management did not want to pay such a large sum, the offer was rejected, and as a result, our fight was removed from the agenda».

Through the special MMA analytical table below, you can get acquainted with the updated main event of the "UFC Freedom 250" tournament and Islam Makhachev's plans for his return to the octagon:

Today's morning excitement: Gaethje to face "El Matador" in the octagon

Following these financial disagreements, the UFC management quickly found another opponent for Topuria. In the main event of this grand show dedicated to the 250th anniversary of American Independence, the dangerous and combative interim champion Justin Gaethje will step into the octagon against Ilia. This super-clash takes place today and will undoubtedly keep millions of fans glued to their screens.

For his part, lightweight Islam Makhachev has not stopped training. He will return to the cage to defend his title at the "UFC 330" tournament, scheduled for August 15 of this year in Philadelphia, USA. Although his opponent for the title defense has not been officially announced yet, the name is expected to be revealed in the coming days.

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