Ilia Topuria has hinted he’s gearing up for a comeback, but it’s remained unclear how long that course of will take.
UFC CEO Dana White shed some more mild on Topuria’s timeline Wednesday, and it sounds like struggle followers could see him sooner rather than later.
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“In 2027. He’ll come back in early 2027,” White said on “The Jim Rome Show“. “We’re working on that, too. That complete light-weight division, you’ve got Gaethje, Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, Holloway. The entire prime 10 is straight killers and the most badass division we have proper now.”
White declined to name-drop a frontrunner, saying that it would lead to a frenzy of deceptive Instagram posts.
However, all of the names White rattled off above do not have a publicly-known struggle, so the UFC definitely has some choices for Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) when he is prepared.
Topuria, 29, has not competed since a surprising upset loss to Justin Gaethje in June. The struggle headlined UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. While Topuria did have some moments, the bout in the end completed in a beatdown by Gaethje.
This article initially appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White reveals Ilia Topuria UFC return timeline
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