Current lightweight champion, Ilya Topuria, surprised the UFC world on Thursday (11/27) by announcing that he will be pausing his career in the Octagon. He explained that the Georgian’s decision came for personal reasons, but without going into details. El Matador only reported that the break will take place at the beginning of 2026.
“I will not fight in the first quarter of next year. I am going through a difficult time in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as quickly as possible. I do not want to delay the split. The UFC will make the necessary fights, and once the issues are resolved, I will let the UFC know that I am ready to return,” Topuria announced on social media.
I won’t be fighting in the first quarter of next year. I am going through a difficult moment in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as quickly as possible. I don’t want to prolong the division. The UFC will make the necessary matches, and as soon as possible…
– Elijah Topuria (@Topuriailia) November 27, 2025
Read also
-
Sports
The Lioness Returns: Amanda Nunes is set to compete in her first UFC event in 2026
-
Sports
UFC updates rankings and Brazilian is overtaken; check it out
-
Sports
UFC Qatar: Tsarukyan confirms his favoritism and wins the fight against Hooker
With this, the UFC may opt to fight for the interim belt during Topuria’s absence. Also on Thursday night, fights were announced for the 324th event, which will take place on January 24, 2026. The Georgian was selected for the main bout that night, but the fight was set to be between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
The conflict became more targeted due to the possibility of identifying a temporary champion. However, the organization has not yet confirmed this information.