TLDR
- Ilia Topuria plans to return to the Octagon between April and June 2026
- He will face the winner of the Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett interim title fight on January 24
- Topuria has been on hiatus since winning the lightweight belt against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in July 2025
- He has expressed interest in moving to welterweight to challenge Islam Makhachev
- Makhachev insists any potential fight must happen at 170 pounds and refuses to return to lightweight
Sources: Yardbarker | EssentiallySports | AOL
UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has announced his return timeline after taking a personal hiatus. The champion confirmed he expects to be back in the Octagon between April and June.
Topuria took a break from the UFC following his stoppage victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in July 2025. That win secured him the vacant lightweight belt, but he stepped away to deal with personal issues.
The champion made his announcement on social media, addressing concerns about how long his absence might last. “April-June. The winner between Paddy and Justin,” Topuria stated.
Interim Title Fight Set for January 24
While Topuria has been away, the lightweight division moved forward with an interim title bout. Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will fight for the interim lightweight championship at UFC 324 on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Gaethje enters the fight with wins in three of his past four outings. The former World Series of Fighting champion holds a 9-5 record in the UFC, with his only losses coming against Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier, and Eddie Alvarez.
Pimblett brings a nine-fight winning streak spanning more than seven years. The former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder last fought at UFC 314 in April, where he stopped Michael Chandler in the third round with elbows and punches.
Topuria’s return will set up a unification bout with whoever wins the Gaethje-Pimblett matchup. The winner will claim the interim belt and earn the right to face “El Matador” later in 2026.
UFC Champion Ilia Topuria provides first clear update on plans for UFC return fight#ufc #mma https://t.co/i2EvzS7e7A
— Positive4sure (@positive4sure) January 17, 2026
Champion Eyes Move to Welterweight
Topuria has also expressed interest in moving up to welterweight to challenge Islam Makhachev. The champion wants to become the first-ever three-division champion in UFC history.
However, Makhachev has set strict conditions for that potential showdown. The Dagestani champion insists any fight with Topuria must happen at 170 pounds.
“For what? I had the belt at lightweight. No one beat me there. I just left the belt and moved up,” Makhachev explained. “For what? For a belt? That’s not interesting to me.”
Makhachev stated he has no plans to return to the lightweight division. “I’ve already been the lightweight champion, and I’m definitely not going back down,” he said.
The welterweight champion pointed out that Topuria has little to lose by moving up in weight. “He can because he has nothing to lose by moving up. If he loses, he goes back down to lightweight, and that’s it. He’ll defend his belt there,” Makhachev added.
Makhachev also suggested Topuria has unfinished business in the lightweight division. “He hasn’t proven anything in lightweight yet. He’s got a lot of work to do there. Arman Tsarukyan is calling him out every day, asking to fight,” the welterweight champion stated.
For now, Topuria remains focused on his return to the lightweight division. The UFC 324 main event on January 24 will determine his next opponent for a title unification bout scheduled between April and June 2026.
