Aleksandre Topuria targets UFC Qatar return against Santiago Luna in November

Aleksandre Topuria is reportedly in talks to make his UFC return at Qatar on November 21 in Doha, where the 30-year-old bantamweight is set to face Santiago Luna, according to Spanish MMA reporter Álvaro Colmenero.

Topuria (7-1) has been absent from competition since defeating Bekzat Almakhan by unanimous decision in November last year — a win that marked his second UFC victory. His extended absence from the Octagon has been largely explained by his role as a coach to his brother Ilia, who held both the featherweight and lightweight titles before losing the 155-pound belt to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. With Ilia not expected to compete again until next year, Aleksandre appears ready to refocus on his own career.

His prospective opponent, Luna (8-1), carries a 2-1 UFC record and is coming off the only defeat of his professional career — a submission loss to Bryce Mitchell this past June. A win for Aleksandre would give him three Octagon victories and re-establish him as a legitimate presence in the bantamweight division.

The only other bout currently rumoured for UFC Qatar is a middleweight matchup between Ikram Aliskerov and former title challenger Jared Cannonier, leaving the card otherwise thin on confirmed names at this stage.

Colmenero noted on social media that while he had heard about the Topuria-Luna pairing for the Qatar event, he had not been able to confirm it as fully signed and finalised.