Dana White confirms Ilia Topuria will return to UFC action in early 2027

Ilia Topuria is set to return to the UFC octagon in early 2027, with CEO Dana White confirming the promotion is actively working on booking the former two-division champion’s comeback fight.

Topuria last competed in June at the UFC White House card, where he suffered a shock defeat to Justin Gaethje in the lightweight main event. The loss ended Topuria’s run as a dual-weight champion and left questions about his immediate future in the sport.

White addressed those questions directly in an interview with Jim Rome. “In ‘27,” White said of Topuria’s next fight. “He’ll come back in early [2027] and we’re working on that, too.”

White did not name a specific opponent, indicating that side of the equation remains unresolved. He did, however, use the conversation as an opportunity to highlight the depth of the lightweight division as a whole. “That entire lightweight division — you’ve got [Justin] Gaethje, Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, [Charles] Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, [Max] Holloway, the whole top 10 is straight killers,” White said. “It’s the best and most bad-ass division we have right now.”

An immediate rematch with Gaethje has been floated by fans and analysts since the June defeat, but the new lightweight champion has consistently dismissed that possibility. Gaethje himself has yet to publicly outline his next move, leaving open the question of whether he intends to defend the title or step away from competition.

With the rematch route appearing closed for now, Topuria’s return opens up a wide range of potential matchups in a division White describes as the promotion’s strongest. Tsarukyan, Oliveira, Pimblett, and Holloway all represent credible options, though no fight has been formally targeted. Planning, at least, appears to be underway.