UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria saw Justin Gaethje defeat Paddy Pimblett in January to clinch the interim lightweight title, and now he’s teasing a return to the octagon soon to possibly unify both belts.
Topuria decided to put his career on hold while dealing with personal issues, claiming that, among other things, he was being extorted with “false allegations of domestic abuse”. He mentioned his desire to face the winner of the UFC 324 main event between April and June, and now indicated he’s
back for good.
“The champ is back,” Topuria posted on Instagram, sharing training photos and videos.
Should he face Gaethje in his match fight back, Topuria will likely be a massive favorite come fight night. The Georgian-Spanish star opened as a favorite following Gaethje’s win over Pimblett in Las Vegas, with the interim titleholder being a 4-to-1 underdog versus Topuria.
The undefeated champion hasn’t fought since June 2025, when he entered the octagon for the first time since relinquishing the featherweight title to move up to lightweight and knock Charles Oliveira out cold to claim the vacant belt.
“El Matador” now holds a flawless 9-0 record under the UFC banner with wins over the likes of Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, Josh Emmett and Bryce Mitchell.
