Ilia Topuria announces break from UFC amid ‘difficult moment in personal life’

Ilia Topuria will step away from the UFC for the beginning of 2026 to resolve a ‘difficult moment’ in his life.

The UFC lightweight champion has said he will tell his bosses when he is ready to make a return, ‘as soon as matters are resolved.’

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Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira in his last fight at UFC 317 to win the lightweight title.

Through his win, ‘El Matador’ became a two-division champion in Dana White‘s promotion, having previously held and vacated the featherweight strap.

Rumours have been circulating for months over who the 28-year-old would fight next in his first UFC lightweight title defence.

Paddy Pimblett, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan all pleaded their case to be next in line at 155lbs.

Newly crowned UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has also been linked, based on his previous tenure at lightweight, and his current status as the promotion’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

However, MMA fans now have to wait several months to see Topuria back in action after his announcement on social media.

Ilia Topuria experiencing ‘difficult moment’ in personal life

“I won’t be fighting in the first quarter of next year,” Topuria wrote on X Thursday.

“I’m going through a difficult moment in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as soon as possible.

“I don’t want to hold up the division. The UFC will make the matchups needed, and as soon as the matters are resolved, I’ll let the UFC know I’m ready to begin my return.”

Reports had already suggested this week that Topuria’s return to the UFC would be delayed.

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The Spaniard has now confirmed these reports, with fans now expecting his lightweight comrades to fight for an interim title next.

UFC CEO White is expected to make a major announcement on Thursday evening regarding his promotion’s first numbered card under their new $7.7billion broadcast deal with Paramount+.

The new deal is set to begin with UFC 324, scheduled for January 24.

Top-ranked UFC lightweights Pimblett, 30, and Gaethje, 37, are reportedly now in line to fight for an interim title at UFC 324, with the winner likely to face Topuria next.

This will leave the current No. 1 contender, Tsarukyan, extremely frustrated, having just strengthened his case for a title shot by submitting Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar this past weekend.

“[Pimblett] is a nobody,” Tsarukyan, 29, said this week, asserting that he should be the man to fight Topuria next.

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“They wanted to make him a superstar — he had good fights, but he’s not an elite fighter — there are levels.

“Paddy couldn’t even beat Oliveira, Hooker, [Dustin] Poirier, Gaethje, [Max] Holloway, or me.

“If he beat Gaethje, I’d say, ‘This guy is good,’ [but I don’t think he’s good] he sucks.”

Gaethje had previously said that he would retire from the sport if not awarded a lightweight title shot next.

But the American would’ve been left with no choice but to fight Pimblett or another top-ranked lightweight upon hearing about Topuria’s situation.

Pimblett, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed his desire to fight Topuria for the title.

The Liverpudlian shares a mutual hatred with Topuria based on an altercation at a London hotel three years ago.

Now, the undefeated UFC star will have to go out and prove his worth once again, as he did against Michael Chandler in April, to get a championship fight.