Dana White confirms Ilia Topuria’s UFC return in early 2027

Ilia Topuria will return to the UFC octagon in early 2027 according to Dana White.

The UFC CEO made the announcement during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show.

Topuria has not fought since June, when he lost his lightweight title to Justin Gaethje.

That fight headlined the UFC White House event.

Topuria entered that bout undefeated at 17-0.

He left it with his first professional loss and a 17-1 record.

Gaethje stopped him at the end of the fourth round.

The defeat cost Topuria both his undefeated streak and the lightweight championship belt.

Now the 29-year-old "El Matador" is preparing to run it back.

White said Topuria will be back in the first half of 2027.

"In '27," White told Rome.

"He'll come back in early [2027] and we're working on that, too."

White did not name a specific opponent or date.

But he made clear the lightweight division is loaded with options.

"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."

Topuria's return comes at a complicated moment for the 155-pound weight class.

Gaethje, the current champion, has hinted he may retire in 2027.

The 38-year-old has said he wants to start a family and feels he has nothing left to prove.

He has entrusted his family and manager to help decide his next move.

White confirmed he has been speaking with Gaethje about his future.

But the promotion can only schedule a fight after Gaethje makes his decision.

If Gaethje retires, the lightweight title would be vacated.

That would open the door for a new champion to be crowned.

Topuria would be a leading candidate to fight for that belt.

So would Arman Tsarukyan, who is 24-3 and has won six straight fights.

Tsarukyan has been calling for a lightweight title opportunity.

He currently has no booked opponent.

Charles Oliveira remains a perennial threat at 155 pounds.

Max Holloway, the former featherweight champion, has also moved up to lightweight.

Paddy Pimblett continues to climb the rankings.

And Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight champion, has expressed interest in moving up.

Volkanovski has called for a champion vs. champion fight with Gaethje.

He said two 38-year-old champions could put their belts on the line without holding up either division.

He described it as a possible retirement fight for both men.

But if Gaethje retires, Volkanovski says he would vacate the featherweight title and move to lightweight permanently.

He has named Tsarukyan as his preferred opponent for a title fight at 155 pounds.

White has not shut down that idea.

"I would pretty much do anything for Alexander Volkanovski at this point in his career," White said on The Jim Rome Show.

"Justin coming off this unbelievable win at the White House. He is an incredible athlete too. What does he want to do next?"

Topuria's return date will depend on several factors.

The first is Gaethje's retirement decision.

The second is the health of the division's top contenders.

Several UFC champions and top stars are currently dealing with injuries.

Tom Aspinall, the former heavyweight titleholder, had to vacate his title due to ongoing issues with his right eye.

Petr Yan underwent lower back surgery and took months to recover.

Carlos Ulberg tore his ACL the night he won the light heavyweight strap.

Sean Strickland is dealing with a shoulder injury and is unhappy with his contract.

Gaethje himself has a hand injury.

Topuria appears healthy and ready to go.

White has previously explained why fighters like Topuria often compete only once a year.

He told MMA Junkie that money is the main factor.

"I think it's money," White said.

"Once you get so much money. When guys are young and hungry, they want to fight a lot because they want to get paid. But once you start to get enough money, you don't have to fight all the time."

Topuria had been fighting roughly once per year even before the Gaethje loss.

His previous fight before the White House event was in October 2025.

That was a featherweight title defense against Max Holloway.

Topuria won that fight by unanimous decision.

Before that, he fought in February 2025, stopping Alexander Volkanovski in the second round.

That win made him the undisputed featherweight champion.

Topuria then moved up to lightweight to challenge Gaethje for the title.

The move was seen as ambitious but justified given his undefeated record.

Gaethje, however, proved to be a step too far at that moment.

Now Topuria must rebuild his momentum.

A return in early 2027 would give him roughly seven months to prepare.

That timeline is consistent with White's preference for top stars to fight at least twice a year.

But White has acknowledged that champions and former champions often prefer to fight less frequently.

Topuria's return opponent has not been announced.

Several names make sense from a rankings perspective.

A rematch with Gaethje would be the biggest money fight.

But Gaethje may not be available if he retires or needs time to heal his hand.

Tsarukyan has earned a title shot and could face Topuria for the vacant belt.

Oliveira is always one win away from another title opportunity.

Holloway and Topuria already have history from their featherweight fight.

Pimblett would be a step down in competition but a major promotional draw.

Volkanovski has also expressed interest in fighting Topuria again.

They fought at featherweight in February 2025, with Topuria winning by knockout.

A rematch at lightweight would carry significant stakes.

White has not indicated which direction the promotion is leaning.

He simply said the company is "working on that."

For now, the timeline is the key piece of information.

Topuria will not fight again in 2026.

He will return in early 2027.

The lightweight division will likely look different by then.

Gaethje may have retired.

Volkanovski may have moved up.

Tsarukyan may have secured his title shot.

Topuria will enter the octagon with a 17-1 record and something to prove.

He was undefeated before the Gaethje loss.

He had never been stopped.

He had never been knocked down.