At UFC 250 earlier this year, Ilia Topuria suffered a brutal defeat against Justin Gaethje. Along with the defeat, Topuria also went home from the bout with a disfigured face and minimal chances of making a comeback to the UFC.

Topuria suffered two broken orbital bones, a shattered septum, and a broken foot during his lightweight title bout against Gaethje. However, a few months later, the Spaniard dropped a positive update regarding his return. “Final medical tests done. I’m back. To all the clowns who’ve been talking shit and counting me out this whole time, here I am. Now let’s see who’s got the balls. Thanks to everyone for the support,” he shared on social media.

Now, UFC President Dana White has provided a much more solid update regarding Topuria's comeback. Speaking on The Jim Rome Show, White shared that Topuria is now eyeing a comeback in the early 2027.

“In 2027. He’ll come back in early 2027,” White said. “We’re working on that, too. 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 and the most bada** division we have right now.”

He also claimed that he was not going to reveal a name about Topuria's potential comeback opponent as a way to avoid internet speculation. “I’m not gonna give you a name,” he added. “Then all of these Instagram frigging things out there say, ‘Oh, he said he’s fighting him’. It drives me mental.”

Despite the announcement, an exact date was not confirmed. Topuria, 29, has been a part of the UFC since 2020 and has won two multi-division titles.

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