Ilia Topuria names desired opponent and date for UFC comeback

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Ilia Topuria has revealed we wants to return to the UFC Octagon in April, naming longtime rival Paddy Pimblett as his desired opponent.

Topuria last fought in June, suffering a TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at the White House. The result cost Topuria the lightweight title and marked his first professional defeat.

Topuria, 29, did not speak on the loss for some time, but he has gradually begun to tease a comeback, and he has now addressed his last fight and his next one.

“I’ve been in the worst situation a fighter can possibly be in,” the Spanish-Georgian told ABC Diario. “I’ve experienced the worst day of my career. What’s worse than that? Dying?

“‘Was something off?’ is a question I’ve had to face over the last five or six months, but one thing is clear: you either win or you lose – and I lost.”

Topuria almost finished Gaethje in the early rounds, but the American took over the fight and ultimately put a beating on Topuria. “El Matador”, sporting significant damage to his face, retired on his stool before the fifth and final round.

Some have speculated that a rematch with Gaethje could be next for Topuria, though Arman Tsarukyan appears the rightful No 1 contender at this time.

“I’ve achieved everything, and after this fight, what else?” Topuria said, before teasing: “Maybe I’ll even retire.” However, he quickly said he would return “like you have never seen [me] before”.

“From April onward is when we are considering returning,” Topuria clarified. “I have always been aware that in this life, not everything is a bed of roses, even though I’ve never had it before.

“Paddy, Paddy, Paddy [will be next]. I’ll eat him like a sausage, which he is.”

Topuria’s grudge with Pimblett goes back to 2022, when El Matador confronted the Liverpudlian at a hotel before UFC London. He had taken issue with tweets posted by “Paddy The Baddy”, which Topuria deemed to be anti-Georgian.

Nevertheless, the pair have not yet fought, despite facing off in the cage last summer after Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira. That win saw Topuria pick up the vacant lightweight title, after he gave up the featherweight belt earlier in 2025.

Topuria’s sole fight since facing Oliveira was his loss to Gaethje, who entered their White House bout as interim champion – having outpointed Pimblett to win that strap in January.

Pimblett, 31, bounced back from his loss to Gaethje in July, submitting Benoit Saint-Denis in 52 seconds.