Ilia Topuria Targets April Return and Welcomes Paddy Pimblett Fight

Ilia Topuria has answered Paddy Pimblett’s repeated calls for a fight and set a later target for his return: April or after. That gives their long-running feud a possible window, though neither fighter’s next bout is confirmed. If they meet, the matchup could also shape the division’s path to its next championship contest.

Topuria made the comments in his first public interview since losing to Justin Gaethje in June. Asked about Pimblett, the 29-year-old told ABC.ES: “Paddy, Paddy, Paddy, I will eat him like the sausage that he is.” It was his first direct response to the Brit’s callouts since the defeat, and it makes clear Topuria is open to the fight.

The interview also marked Topuria’s first media appearance since that loss. A post from ABC.es described it as his first interview after the defeat, five months earlier. In the same post, Topuria said: “I’m a person who will always keep moving forward, a person who will never give up. This has changed everything.” The comment offers a glimpse of his response to the setback, while his return target gives the clearest timing he has supplied himself.

A possible return window takes shape

Earlier this Thursday, Dana White said the promotion was working on Topuria’s return and expected him back in early 2027. Topuria’s own estimate is later: April or after, which rules out a comeback in the first part of the year. His coach had previously pointed to February, so the latest update shifts the likely timing back by at least a couple of months.

That schedule matters to the matchup question. Pimblett has also been expected to return in early 2027, but he recently said stem cell treatment has kept him out of training. His recovery and return to regular preparation will affect when he can compete. With Topuria targeting April or later, a bout between them would depend on both fighters being ready around the same period; the public updates leave that as a possibility rather than a settled plan.

Topuria’s target is a meaningful change for fans who have been waiting for a return update over the past few months. It narrows the rough window while leaving room for it to move. The earlier February estimate came from his coach, while April or later is the timeline Topuria has now given directly.

The feud has a competitive edge

Pimblett has spent months asking for the fight. Their animosity dates to 2021, when they clashed at the fighter hotel during UFC London. That history gives a meeting more weight than a routine matchup between contenders: both men have a personal score to settle, and each has made public remarks that keep the rivalry active.

Pimblett recently argued that Topuria would never be the same after the Gaethje loss. He also said that a fight with him would send Topuria back down to featherweight. Topuria’s answer is short on detail, but its tone is unmistakable. The challenge turns Pimblett’s criticism back into a direct sporting test, where the result would replace predictions with evidence.

The matchup has also been described as one of the biggest current fights the promotion could make, with the potential to sell out a stadium. That’s a projection, not a confirmed venue or event plan. The appeal is easier to understand: an established rivalry, two fighters pursuing the top of the division, and a clear question about how Topuria responds after his first defeat in the account provided.

Championship stakes depend on what comes next

The wider division could make the timing more consequential. Gaethje, the current champion, has been linked to a potential super fight with Alexander Volkanovski. Both men are expected to retire after that matchup, according to the source. If that sequence happens, the championship could become vacant, opening a route to a new contest for the belt.

Arman Tsarukyan is described as guaranteed to take one side of a possible vacant title fight. A Topuria–Pimblett winner could then put himself in position to face Tsarukyan. That chain depends on several events still being unresolved: the proposed Gaethje–Volkanovski bout, the championship’s status afterward, and whether Topuria and Pimblett actually meet.

For now, the clearest takeaway is that Topuria has named a return window and publicly welcomed the rivalry. Pimblett’s recovery remains part of the scheduling picture, while the possible championship route gives the matchup stakes beyond their feud. April or later is the marker to watch; the next updates will show whether both fighters can line up for the same date.