The champ is back!
That was the message that Ilia Topuria’s team enigmatically posted on the UFC lightweight belt holder’s Instagram yesterday morning (Thu. Feb 5, 2026), and now we have official news from Spain that confirms it.
Topuria hasn’t fought since a June 2025 knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to win the vacant 155 pound title. It looked like “El Matador” would return in January 2026 for the UFC’s first big numbered event on Paramount+, but then Ilia announced he was stepping back from the sport to deal with a contentious divorce and custody battle.
Now those legal troubles are resolved, according to ABC, Madrid’s oldest newspaper. They report that an out-of-court settlement has been reached between Ilia Topuria and Giorgina Uzcategui which withdraws a complaint of domestic abuse against the Spanish sports star. This has to be seen as a ‘loss’ for Uzcategui, who the report claims accepted ‘the same terms that Topuria had offered her from the beginning of the conflict.’
The settlement also allows Topuria to keep his home and gym in Madrid, which had originally been put up for sale pending a split in assets. His ex-wife had originally petitioned the court to allow her to move back to Miami to raise their one year old daughter. The two will now remain in Spain and Topuria has been granted ‘a generous visitation schedule.’
On the fighting front, this clears Topuria up to fight again. According to Spanish MMA reporter Alvaro Colmenero, his team is looking to have him fight Justin Gaethje on the UFC White House card in June.
Welcome back, Ilia Topuria!
