🚨 Dana White reveals the UFC is planning Ilia Topuria's comeback for early 2027! 🔥 The UFC boss says discussions are already underway to get the former champion back inside the Octagon. 🗣️ “He'll come back in early 2027. We're working on that.” While the UFC has yet to confirm an opponent or date, Topuria's return is starting to take shape. 🎥: (@jimrome)
UFC president Dana White says the promotion is working on a return for Ilia Topuria in early 2027. White's comments, which surfaced on the Jim Rome show, indicate that talks about bringing the former champion back to the Octagon are already underway.
"He'll come back in early 2027. We're working on that," White said, according to the report. No opponent or date has been confirmed by the UFC, so the timeline remains a stated plan rather than a finalized booking.
Topuria, 29, enters the picture as one of the most decorated fighters in the sport right now. The Spaniard is 17-1-0 and holds the number one spot in the lightweight division as well as the number one pound-for-pound ranking. He fights out of Climent Club and works from an orthodox stance.
His most recent recorded fight was a fourth-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje in a title fight at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, 2026. That result is the only defeat on his record. Before it, he knocked out Charles Oliveira in the first round at UFC 317 on June 28, 2025, and stopped Max Holloway in the third round at UFC 308 on October 26, 2024. All three recorded bouts were title fights, and all three ended by knockout or TKO.
Topuria's numbers explain why the UFC wants him back. He lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute with 48 percent accuracy, and he averages 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts. He is listed at five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach, 175 cm.
Why it matters
- If the early 2027 window holds, Topuria would be back roughly seven to nine months after his June 2026 loss to Gaethje.
- He remains ranked first at lightweight and first pound-for-pound despite the defeat.
- The opponent is still unannounced, leaving open whether a return would be a rematch or a new matchup.
The timeline also leaves the UFC room to build around a fighter whose recorded run before the Gaethje loss featured back-to-back stoppages of former champions.
