MMA
Ilia Topuria could be set for blockbuster UFC comeback fight
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Ilia Topuria could be closing in on a blockbuster return to the UFC after Dana White confirmed the former champion is ready to fight again.
Topuria has been sidelined since suffering the first defeat of his professional MMA career against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Gaethje stopped Topuria via corner stoppage at the end of the fourth round to claim the UFC lightweight championship, with Topuria suffering significant injuries during the fight.
However, the 29-year-old's recovery appears to have progressed well, and UFC CEO White has now confirmed that both sides are ready to begin planning his return.
Scott Taetsch/Zuffa LLC
"Our guys are always in touch with him - we don't have him on the schedule right now, but Topuria is ready to fight, and we're ready for him," White told The Jim Rome Show, as reported by MMA Mania.
There are already two potentially huge options for Topuria's comeback.
Asked about the possibility of either a rematch with Gaethje or a long-awaited fight against Paddy Pimblett, White refused to rule out either matchup.
"Both sound good to me," White said. "They're both great. We don't lose with either one of those fights."
He added that a Gaethje rematch would be "incredible", while describing a fight with Pimblett as "amazing" given the bitter rivalry between the pair.
Topuria and Pimblett have traded insults for years and famously clashed at a fighter hotel in 2022, making a meeting between the two one of the UFC's most prominent unresolved rivalries.
A rematch with Gaethje would instead give Topuria an immediate opportunity to avenge the only defeat of his professional career and potentially regain the lightweight championship.
UFC commentator Jon Anik has also claimed there have been internal conversations about a potential Gaethje-Topuria rematch, although no opponent or date has yet been officially announced for Topuria's return.
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