Ilia Topuria wants Paddy Pimblett in April. After that, he says, he might walk away.
In remarks that spread across r/MMA on Thursday night, Topuria said he has achieved everything and asked what else would be left after this fight, adding that he might even retire. He said he’s coming back in April, and he made it clear Pimblett is the name he wants.
Nobody had to guess at the callout. He said the man’s name more than once.
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The retirement talk is easier to take seriously than most, because Topuria has actually done the things he’s talking about. He’s a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, the first Georgian and Spanish fighter to win UFC gold, and the first undefeated fighter to hold UFC titles in two divisions. He sits at 17-1 and No. 3 at lightweight in the Knockout Daily rankings.
That one loss came against Justin Gaethje, and it’s the context for all of this. Topuria hasn’t fought since June 14. His first interview since the Gaethje defeat surfaced Thursday via @KOlmeneroMMA, and in it he said, “The fire inside me is even bigger now.” A few days earlier he’d posted on Instagram that “The Matador is coming back.”
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The April target lines up with what Dana White told Jim Rome on Wednesday. “He’ll come back in early 2027. We’re working on that,” White said. He didn’t name an opponent.
Pimblett makes sense as a matchup for reasons beyond Topuria calling him out by name. The Liverpool fighter is 24-4 and No. 6 at lightweight in our rankings. He also lost to Gaethje, dropping a unanimous decision for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24, 2026, which means both men are trying to climb back past the same guy. Before that, Pimblett stopped Michael Chandler in the third round at UFC 314, and his last fight came on July 11.
Pimblett brings the British crowd and the noise. Topuria brings the résumé and a 95.2% takedown defense rate, second best in UFC history. On paper, the Spaniard is the guy everyone will pick.
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As for retiring, Topuria turns 30 on January 21. Fighters who say maybe about retirement tend to keep fighting, and there’s a Gaethje loss sitting on his record that he’d presumably want to settle first. If the UFC books Pimblett for April, expect the retirement question at every press conference between now and the walkout.
