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Dana White Issues Islam Makhachev Injury Update as Next Fight Plans Take Hit

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Sudeep Sinha | Last updated Mar 9, 2026 8:15 AM ET

Islam Makhachev came under fire today due to a report that turned out to be false. Irati Prat of MMA Marca recently reported that the UFC White House main event fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje was originally supposed to feature Islam Makhachev instead of Gaethje. However, it fell through at the last moment, and it was instantly connected to claims made by Dana White on Friday.

During a Power Slap event, the UFC CEO claimed a fight was canceled from the White House event. Naturally, fans thought Islam Makhachev had pulled out and ducked Ilia, allowing Gaethje to take his place for the lightweight belt. However, during the Zuffa Boxing 4 post-fight press conference in Las Vegas, Dana White clarified that it was never the case. He also added an update about Makhachev’s injury to support his clarification.

Islam Makhachev isn’t coming back soon, says Dana White

“He’s got some hand issues,” White said during the presser. “I know that. I don’t know how serious the hand issues are or how long that will keep him out, but he’s injured.”

It’s unclear when and where the injury occurred. However, the 34-year-old suffered a partial ligament tear in his hand after his June 2024 fight against Dustin Poirier. That injury reportedly stemmed directly from the fight and continued to significantly bother him in the aftermath. He underwent rehabilitation and wore a brace for a period.

The injury ended up delaying his lightweight title defense against Arman Tsarukyan to January 2025. Although Tsarukyan later pulled out of the fight, leading to Makhachev defending his title against Renato Moicano on short notice. Makhachev has since moved to welterweight, where he defeated Jack Della Maddalena to become a two-division champion.

As for his next fight, Ian Garry has been pushing for a fight against Makhachev. But the Dagestani fighter’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has denied that the fight is happening. Michael Morales and Kamaru Usman have also emerged as potential opponents, but nothing has been confirmed yet, with Makhachev’s hand injury complicating matters further.

And as far as Makhachev’s spot on the White House card is concerned, it was never going to happen.

Islam Makhachev on the Ilia Topuria fight in White House

Just last month, Islam Makhachev addressed the possibility of fighting Ilia Topuria at the White House event. The welterweight champion suggested the bout is unlikely for now. While fans have speculated about a blockbuster clash between the two champions, Makhachev revealed that the promotion is not currently pursuing the matchup.

“Yes, I think it definitely won’t happen at the White House, because he already has an opponent, and the UFC is not interested in this,” Makhachev told Ushatayka. “We’re still discussing an approximate date for my fight. Even if it’s not at the White House, it’ll be around that time. I’m not ruling out the White House option either.”

It appears Islam Makhachev is not fighting anytime soon because of his hand issue. But whenever he does, who do you think his opponent will be?

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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