We now know what is in store for one of the biggest stars on the UFC roster.
At the promotion’s first event of 2026, Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett to win the interim lightweight title.
The landscape of the lightweight division became clearer as a result of ‘The Highlight’ securing this belt for a second time in his career.
What we didn’t know for sure is when Ilia Topuria, who scolded both Gaethje and Pimblett after the fight, would be coming back for the unification clash.
A significant update that will have a big impact on the life and career of ‘El Matador’ has provided further clarification.
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Ilia Topuria posts training footage shortly before report regarding his personal life
Last November, Ilia Topuria announced that he wouldn’t be fighting in the first quarter of 2026 due to what he described as a “difficult moment” in his personal life.
He made it clear that he didn’t want to hold up the lightweight division and that he’d tell the UFC when he’s ready to fight again.
Reports stated that the UFC had no intention of ever stripping Topuria, though the unclear timeframe for his return still led to the creation of an interim title.
That didn’t stop there from being some concerns about how long it could take for ‘El Matador’ to settle the issues he was facing outside of the Octagon and what impact it could have on his career.
Fortunately for his fans, a major update on this has already been issued, with MARCA reporting that the champion and his ex-wife have signed a settlement and that the case had been closed.
Before this news came out, Topuria posted videos of himself returning to training on Instagram, writing, “The champ is back!!!” in the caption.
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Ilia Topuria is reportedly targeting the White House for his return
Ilia Topuria previously said that he wants to fight again between April and June, though there is one date that would make the most sense for his return.
MARCA’s Irati Prat wrote when sharing the news about his settlement that ‘El Matador’ is already preparing for his next fight, which will likely be at the UFC White House event on June 14.
Alvaro Colmenero added that he’s been told that there’s a “90%” probability that Topuria’s next fight will be against Justin Gaethje on this card.
Gaethje winning the interim title while representing the stars and stripes only makes their unification clash an obvious candidate for this card.
We may still have some time to wait before seeing Topuria back inside the Octagon but at least we now know that he’s actively working towards his next bout.