What Is Ilia Topuria’s ‘Big News’?

Originally posted on BoxingNews.com | Last updated Mar 5, 2026 2:35 AM ET

Two-division champion Ilia Topuria has teasing his fans that “big news is coming soon.”

Topuria has been sidelined since his June 2025 performance, where he captured the vacant 155-pound title by knocking out Charles Oliveira. That victory cemented his legacy as a double champ, but his momentum was stalled by a hiatus to address personal legal matters. Topuria has since dismissed those hurdles as “false allegations of domestic abuse” and has officially returned to full-time training.

With the lightweight champion back in the gym, the attention has turned towards who is next. Fuel was added to the fire when Ali Abdelaziz, manager for welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, hinted at a big clash on the horizon for his fighter.

This has led many to believe that Topuria’s “big news” involves a jump to 170 pounds. If the superfight materializes, Topuria would be gunning for an unprecedented feat: becoming the first three-division champion in UFC history. If the fight does happen, Topuria is ready to think outside the box for it.

“The perfect scenario for me would be fighting [Islam Makhachev] in the welterweight division, because that way I’m going to be able to collect my third belt. But also, it would be a great scenario for me to fight between 155 and 170 and create a new belt. Why not call it pound-for-pound? Because he’s the No. 1, I’m the No. 2 right now. For me, I’m the No. 1. But you put two of the best guys in the world, you put the pound-for-pound belt in the middle, whoever wins is the best,” Topuria said

Naturally, the attention turns towards whether Ilia will fight on the UFC White House card. The card is expected to have a reported 6-7 title fights, making an Islam bout a major attraction. However, there are a few hurdles with that. Several fighters have expressed their desire to appear, including the likes of Jon Jones, Alex Pereira and Conor McGregor. Meanwhile, Topuria has also said that he is unsure whether he will appear on the card, leaving the ball in Dana White’s court.

“If I’m fighting in the White House, I don’t know. I don’t know. In summer hopefully. I know that I’m gonna fight in summer, but I don’t have any specific date or place that I know I’m gonna fight. “It’s like: you don’t say to the UFC how to make fights and where to put you, and they don’t tell you how to fight. So, this is basically how it works,” Topuria stated

This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.

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