By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Ilia Topuria has announced plans to return to the UFC octagon in April, naming longtime rival Paddy Pimblett as his preferred opponent.
Topuria lost the lightweight title to Justin Gaethje in June, suffering his first professional defeat via TKO at the White House. He remained silent for months before addressing the loss.
Topuria described the defeat as the worst day of his career, acknowledging he lost despite nearly finishing Gaethje early. He retired on his stool before the fifth round.
Speculation had centered on a rematch with Gaethje or a bout with Arman Tsarukyan, but Topuria dismissed those, teasing retirement before confirming a comeback.
"From April onward is when we are considering returning," Topuria said, adding he would return like never before. He then called out Pimblett, saying he would "eat him like a sausage."
The grudge dates to 2022 when Topuria confronted Pimblett at a hotel before UFC London over tweets deemed anti-Georgian. They faced off in the cage last summer after Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight title.
Topuria's only fight since then was the loss to Gaethje, who had beaten Pimblett for the interim title. Pimblett rebounded in July with a 52-second submission of Benoit Saint-Denis.
