Brett OkamotoJan 17, 2026, 09:16 AM
CloseBrett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
Ilia Topuria intends to defend his UFC lightweight championship in the next six months, according to a statement on social media.
Topuria (17-0) announced he was stepping away from the sport late last year in order to deal with issues in his personal life. He later added he is dealing with “false allegations of domestic abuse,” and recently appeared in family court in Spain regarding a custody matter with his ex-wife Giorgina Uzcategui.
In his absence, the UFC created an interim title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett to headline UFC 324 next weekend in Las Vegas.
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On Friday, Topuria wrote on X he will return to the Octagon at some point between April and June.
“April-June,” Topuria wrote. “The winner between Paddy and Justin.”
Topuria, 28, became a two-weight champion in the UFC last June, knocking out former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. He has expressed interest in moving all the way up to welterweight to chase former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev but would likely need to defend his title at least once first.