Former two-division UFC champion Ilia Topuria has revealed that he’s targeting a fight with Paddy Pimblett when he returns to action in the 2nd quarter of 2027.

It’s now been almost almost five months since Topuria’s lost the lightweight title and saw his unbeaten record crumble during a brutal beatdown against Justin Gaethje on the lawn of the White House, and it’s given him time to come to terms with what happened.

“I’ve been in the worst situation a fighter can be in,” Topuria told ABC Diario. “I have seen the worst day of my job. What’s worse than that, dying?

“But one thing is clear: you either win or you lose. And I lost. I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror, and I’m like: no, no, no, no, this isn’t me.”

Despite that bitter disappointment, the 29-year-old Topuria has vowed to keep fighting on, at least for a few fights more.

“I’ve achieved everything, and after this fight, what else?” Topuria said. “Maybe I’ll even retire.

“And now it’s like it brought me back. The flame became much bigger. It gave me a completely different kind of motivation. You’ll see, and you’ll keep enjoying me for a little while longer. Two or three fights, yes. For sure.”

With that decided, Topuria has even started homing in on a potential date for his comeback.

 “From April onward is when we are considering returning. I have always been aware that in this life, not everything is a bed of roses, even though I’ve never had it before.”

And more importantly, Topuria also appears to have his sights set on one opponent in particular – his long-time rival Paddy Pimblett.

“Paddy, Paddy, Paddy,” Topuria said. “I’ll eat him like a sausage, which he is.”