Ilia Topuria has come out and confirmed reports that he won’t be competing in early 2026, and even implied he’d be okay with an interim title fight if the UFC decides that’s what they want to do.
Topuria was originally expected to return in January, but then plans abruptly changed and that was no longer the case. Then we started hearind reports from journalists close to Topuria’s camp that the Spanish / Georgian star wouldn’t be able to compete for several months due to a ‘personal’ matter.
Topuria
is rumored to be going through a very hush-hush divorce involving two children.
Now “El Matador” is speaking out regarding the situation, and has confirmed what we’ve been hearing about a break from fighting.
“I won’t be fighting in the first quarter of next year,” Topuria wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “I’m going through a difficult moment in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as soon as possible.”
“I don’t want to hold up the division,” he added. “The UFC will make the matchups needed, and as soon as the matters are resolved I’ll let the UFC know I’m ready to begin my return.”
As unfortunate as it is for Topuria’s career, this opens the door for the UFC to book a fight they clearly wanted to book: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for an interim UFC lightweight title. Arman Tsarukyan is right there as well after beating Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar … we’re sure if either Gaethje or Pimblett are reluctant to fight on a specific date or for a specific amount of money, Tsarukyan could get subbed right in.
With the UFC, it’s not always about who is the No. 1 ranked fighter. It’s about who is the most marketable, who is available for a specific date, and who is willing to fight with no extra financial demands. The promotion loves it when there are multiple options available because it means the fighters have less leverage to make unusual demands upon them.
With Pimblett, Gaethje, and Tsarukyan eager to lock up a title shot — and Ilia Topuria willing to accept an interim fight in the meantone — negotiations just got a whole lot less complicated for the UFC. Let’s see what they decide to do in the upcoming days.
