Ilia Topuria isn’t shy about making bold predictions for his future.
The UFC lightweight champion is nearing his return to the Octagon, set for June 2026, after taking some time away from the sport earlier in the year to deal with personal matters.
He claimed a historic title win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, becoming just the tenth fighter in promotion history to hold two belts simultaneously. The Spaniard’s rise has been marked by a string of high-profile knockouts, including finishes against Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
Topuria is preparing to face Justin Gaethje at an event hosted by the White House in June. He seems confident that it will be another addition to his growing list of victories…
Ilia Topuria already celebrating before taking on Justin Gaethje
Topuria was seen celebrating his win over Oliveira even before stepping into the octagon in Las Vegas. As he has throughout his career, ‘El Matador’ showed once again that his confidence wasn’t misplaced.
He’ll need to do the same on June 14 to avoid being made to look foolish, having announced plans for another pre-fight celebration ahead of the bout in Washington D.C.
Speaking with ESPN ahead of his unification fight against Gaethje at UFC White House, Topuria said a dinner is already booked for the night before.
“We are going to celebrate before the fight,” Topuria said. “Actually, we have everything organized. My team is already taking care of that.”
The lightweight title fight will close out the card, as Gaethje looks to send home his compatriots happy at an event that will celebrate 250 years of American independence.
This isn’t new territory for Topuria. Along with early celebrations, he’s been known to update his social media bios with future wins before they happen. So far, it hasn’t come back to haunt him.
