Dana White: Ilia Topuria will return in early 2027

The UFC CEO confirmed the timeline on The Jim Rome Show — but named no opponent, date, or venue.

Ilia Topuria will fight again in early 2027. That is the timeline Dana White gave on The Jim Rome Show on Wednesday, November 4, when asked when fans will get to watch Topuria fight again.

"In 2027. He'll come back in early 2027," White said. "We're working on that, too."

That is the whole announcement. White gave no month, date, opponent, venue, or event number, and no confirmation the return is a title fight. The return is not booked — in White's words, it is something the UFC is working on. Jim Rome posted the same message on X on November 4: "He'll be back in '27. We're working on that too." @DanaWhite confirms Ilia Topuria's return to #UFC will happen next year.

White was also asked about an opponent for the comeback, and he refused to name one.

"I'm not gonna give you a name," White said, adding that naming someone would spark misleading posts claiming he had announced a fight.

That leaves Topuria's next opponent entirely open. White did talk up the division Topuria will return to, naming Justin Gaethje, Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, and Max Holloway, and calling the top 10 "straight killers" and lightweight "the most badass division we have right now."

"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 and the most badass division we have right now."

That is a list of the division's names, not a shortlist of opponents for Topuria. None of them was named by White on this appearance as the man Topuria will face.

Topuria, 29, has not fought since June, when Justin Gaethje stopped him in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. The defeat was the first of Topuria's professional career, dropped him to 17-1, and cost him the lightweight belt. He is 17-1 in MMA, 9-1 in the UFC, and ranked No. 1 at lightweight.

Gaethje beat Topuria bloody over four rounds, and Topuria's corner stopped the fight at the end of the fourth round. Topuria suffered fractures to both orbital bones, a broken nose, and other injuries. The June 14 card was the first UFC event ever staged at the White House.

The November timeline is a shift from September, when White told Rome on the same show that Topuria was "ready to fight" — "We don't have him on the schedule right now, but Topuria is ready to fight." No 2026 fight materialised. Topuria will not be back inside the octagon in 2026.

Two fights have been raised in connection with the return, but neither was announced on November 4. In September, asked about a Gaethje rematch or a Pimblett fight, White said: "Obviously the rematch with Gaethje is incredible. A Paddy Pimblett fight is amazing." Those were September options, not the November announcement.

Topuria himself hopes his return fight will be an immediate rematch with Gaethje. Gaethje has said he has no interest in running it back. White has not confirmed whether Topuria will get an immediate title shot or face another contender first.

Gaethje is recovering from injury and targeting a return in 2027, with no opponent set. Pimblett has said he would take a Gaethje rematch before a Topuria fight.

Topuria's trainer, Jesus Gallo, has said Topuria will be ready to fight starting from February 2027. That is the trainer's readiness date, not a UFC-announced fight date. Topuria has moved from Miami back to Georgia to prepare for his comeback fight.

The timeline is clear and the details are blank. Topuria returns in early 2027. Who he faces, where, and when exactly, the UFC is still working on — and White is not saying.