Ilia Topuria will watch the UFC lightweight division move on without him for the foreseeable future. The reigning 155-pound champion revealed in November that, due to a “difficult moment” in his personal life, he won’t be competing in the first quarter of 2026 as he originally hoped. That same day, UFC announced an interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett to headline on Jan. 24.
On Monday, Topuria shed more light on his situation with a full-length statement on social media, claiming he is being extorted with “false allegations of domestic abuse.”
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Said Topuria:
Over the past several weeks, I have made the difficult decision to temporarily step away from defending my title. This was not a decision I took lightly. However, when circumstances arise that threaten your personal integrity, your family, and your reputation, there comes a point when you must address them directly.
In recent months, I have been subjected to severe and unacceptable pressure, including threats to disseminate false allegations of domestic abuse unless financial demands were met. These allegations are entirely unfounded. The truth is not a matter of opinion — it is a matter of evidence.
All relevant evidence has been carefully preserved and documented, including audio recordings, written communications, witness statements, and video material. This evidence has been submitted to the appropriate judicial authorities in order to pursue legal action for attempted extortion, falsification of evidence, misappropriation of funds and personal property, and multiple threats.
Given the extent of Topuria’s situation and his unknown timetable, it’s possible he could be absent from competition for even longer than the UFC expected. As a result, some have begun questioning whether there’s a case for stripping Topuria of the belt entirely.
Although the 28-year-old champion won the lightweight crown as recently as June, three-time UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen believes this is a unique situation. Speaking Tuesday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Sonnen agreed there’s quickly becoming a case to strip the champ.
“[The] argument is that the interim belt is for those that are dealing with an illness or an injury, if we would like to show grace to an undisputed champion because he’s missing matches specifically for illness or injury,” Sonnen said. “And the moment Ilia informs us that he is missing matches for anything outside of the criteria of illness or injury, that’s when you strip him. That there is no precedent for an interim championship.
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“I had never thought of that and I thought it was very cold, I didn’t like it. … And I thought about it, and there’s actually a point to that. If Ilia is missing matches — and all he’s gotta do is make the claim, he doesn’t have to be telling the truth. A lot of guys didn’t tell the truth, a lot of guys have missed fights and said they’re hurt because they didn’t want to make the walk. But if you’re making a claim outside of illness or injury … you’re not eligible. You’ve gotta be stripped. I think that is a fair point.”
Topuria’s time in the UFC title scene has already been one of a kind. As a featherweight, “El Matador” knocked out all-time great champion Alexander Volkanovski in stunning fashion, then added another blistering highlight to his résumé in his lone title defense, becoming the first man to knock out Max Holloway. Topuria then left his belt behind and moved up in weight, defeating former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira with yet another knockout to capture the 155-pound title.
It’s been a legacy-crafting run for Topuria thus far, and put him near the top of the pound-for-pound list.
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To clarify his thoughts, Sonnen said that while he doesn’t want to see a champion of Topuria’s caliber stripped, under the circumstances he believes it’s a justifiable decision while matters get resolved.
“I don’t want him stripped. I’m on Ilia’s side of this,” Sonnen said. “I don’t really like what he’s going through. I think he shared more with us than he has to. I also think he’s innocent and seems like a good guy. I really don’t think he would have done these things.
“However, yeah, they’ve got to strip him. If he’s not making the claim that he’s injured and has some kind of doctor’s report to back it up, as bogus as those can be, he’s got to be stripped.”
