It doesn’t seem that Ilia Topuria will be defending his lightweight title any time soon.
While there has been ample speculation about who the former featherweight champion would face in his first title defense at 155lbs, including names like Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett, Topuria announced on Thursday that he was putting his fighting career on hold.
In a statement issued on social media, “El Matador” explained that he was going through a “difficult moment” in his personal life.
“I won’t be fighting in the first quarter of next year. I’m going through a difficult moment in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as soon as possible,” stated Topuria. “I don’t want to hold up the division. The UFC will make the matchups needed, and as soon as the matters are resolved I’ll let the UFC know I’m ready to begin my return.”
Topuria did not touch on what the difficult moment pertained to, however in recent months, rumors have circulated about ongoing martial troubles with wife Giorgina Uzcategui Badell. Earlier this year, the couple seemingly scrubbed photos with one another from their respective social media accounts.
The pair have two young children.
Topuria (17-0) won the UFC’s featherweight championship by defeating Alexander Volkanovski in 2024, and defended it later that year against Max Holloway. This past June, he knocked out Charles Oliveira to claim the promotion’s 155lb belt, which had been vacated by Islam Makhachev— who recently captured welterweight gold.
