ISLAM MAKHACHEV has denied Dana White’s claims that he refused to battle Rafael dos Anjos.
The Russian, mentored by UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, supplied to face the Brazilian on late discover after Rafael Fiziev caught Covid-19.
But White later mentioned: “When I went to bed one of the nights, I thought it was done. Woke up the next morning and found out they turned it down.”
“Islam [turned it down]. No clue [why].”
Dos Anjos, 37, went on to later beat Renato Moicano, 32, and claimed Makhachev, “asked for a million dollars, or something, to take the fight.”
The light-weight contender, 30, has now hit again and denied demanding $1m to take the short-notice bout.
Makhachev mentioned: “I don’t wish to speak about this, very small. Nothing huge.
“Not $1 million dollars, 100 per cent not $1 million.”
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He added: “Dana mentioned I turned down this battle however Monday morning once I awakened, I simply noticed some information like Fiziev had Covid, the battle is cancelled and I’d been in California on trip and I get up and name my supervisor.
“‘Hey, Ali [Abdelaziz]. I saw some news. Please call UFC and say I’m prepared for take this battle.’
“I requested about some situations however very small situations, nothing huge that wasn’t potential to do.
“UFC [didn’t] call me, Ali didn’t call me, I woke up and I called Ali and I told him talk with UFC please, I want this fight – but the UFC didn’t do it. That’s why the fight didn’t happen and that’s it.”
Makhachev, who has seen fights with Dos Anjos cancelled previously, had solely fought one week prior, beating Bobby Green, 35.
The post Islam Makhachev accuses UFC chief Dana White of lying about why he did not fight Rafael dos Anjos first appeared on Umorr.
