Dana White Hints at Ilia Topuria’s UFC Comeback Date

UFC president Dana White revealed when former UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon.

Topuria was last seen at UFC Freedom 250 in June, when he was finished by TKO against Justin Gaethje in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.

It was a rough night for Topuria, who absorbed a ton of damage in the bout and needed to take a lot of time off to recover from the attribute he took in the fight.

But now, it appears the Georgian is finally ready to return.

Dana White Says Ilia Topuria’s UFC Return Is Imminent

Speaking to Jim Rome, White revealed that Topuria’s UFC return is coming soon.

“In 2027. He’ll come back in early 2027. “We’re working on that, too,” White said (via MMAjunkie.com).

According to White, the UFC doesn’t know yet whom Topuria will fight in his return, mentioning Gaethje, Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, and Max Holloway as potential fights for the former lightweight champ.

“That entire lightweight division, you’ve got Gaethje, Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, Holloway. The whole top 10 is straight killers and the most badass division we have right now,” White said.

Ilia Topuria Recently Hinted at UFC Comeback

Topuria himself recently hinted at his UFC comeback, though he didn’t provide any information about a date or opponent.

While Topuria would ideally get an immediate rematch against Gaethje, it seems unlikely that will happen, as he was finished in the fight and it was his first title defense at 155 lbs. Typically, the UFC will not grant a fighter an immediate title shot if they don’t even defend their title one time, which is why Topuria will likely fight someone else in the weight class for his next bout.

A matchup against Pimblett, who is also one of the UFC’s biggest stars right now, seems to make the most sense, as both Topuria and Pimblett could headline a numbered card against each other despite not being champions. But it seems like, based on what White said, the promotion is still looking at all options for Topuria’s omeback fight.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

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