Ilia Topuria teases ‘big news coming soon’
MMA Fighting
March 3, 2026
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 28: Ilia Topuria of Georgia looks on during a lightweight title bout at UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ilia Topuria’s next fight booking could be imminent.
The UFC lightweight champion posted a cryptic message to Instagram on Tuesday, teasing “big news is coming soon.” It has been over eight months since Topuria has competed, with the undefeated fighter taking time off to deal with personal matters, including “false allegations of domestic abuse” according to Topuria.
See Topuria’s post below.
View this post on Instagram
It should be noted Topuria does not specify that the news is fight-related.
Topuria (17-0) is arguably the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, having scored featherweight championship wins over legends Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway before vacating that title and making a successful move up to the 155-pound division, where he knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 this past June to claim a second title.
The 29-year-old recently told streamer Adin Ross that he would like to move up one more division to fight welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, the fighter who vacated the lightweight title prior to Topuria’s move. Makhachev also awaits a challenger for his first defense after defeating 170-pound champion Jack Della Maddalena in November.
For the sake of speculation, Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has teased a “big fight” for his client, though there are no substantial reports yet that point to the UFC setting up a Makhachev-Topuria superfight in the near future. It’s unclear what Abdelaziz is hinting at, as another one of his clients Kamaru Usman has suggested he is out of the running to fight Makhachev, and Abdelaziz specifically shot down rumors that Ian Machado Garry is locked in for a welterweight title shot.
This is, I can tell you, the UFC working on a big fight Islam Makhachev and ian name is not involved. Much bigger. One of the biggest fight in the UFC right now they can make. Stay tuned.😉
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) March 2, 2026
No they’re not.
— “The Future” Ian Machado Garry (@iangarryMMA) March 2, 2026
The Champ will let you know, there are so many great options, you in the conversation for now https://t.co/cERsN32gxH
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) March 3, 2026
Topuria currently has three prominent lightweight challengers lined up for him: Justin Gaethje, who defeated Paddy Pimblett for an interim belt at UFC 324, and Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira, who fight in Saturday’s UFC 326 main event.
Verticals
sportsmma
Originally published on MMA Fighting on 3/3/2026