Why Ilia Topuria's return might take longer than expected

Ilia Topuria, the existent lightweight champion successful the UFC, volition seemingly enactment retired of the cage for a small portion longer, though galore thought that helium would instrumentality arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent year. After Dana White mentioned respective times that the Georgian-born Spaniard could look successful January, galore fans were hoping to yet ticker his archetypal loop defense. However, things look to person gotten analyzable for reasons that, astatine slightest for now, person not been publically explained.

The part has erstwhile again go a large taxable among MMA combat fans, particularly aft the lawsuit successful Qatar, wherever Arman Tsarukyan had an awesome show against Dan Hooker. With that victory, helium further strengthened his presumption arsenic a challenger, and galore judge that helium deserved a accidental for that lucifer a agelong clip ago. In addition, the caller clash betwixt Paddy Pimblett and the reigning champion has further heated up the atmosphere, and fans person begun to speculate what volition hap adjacent astatine the apical of the lightweight division.

Changes successful plans

A small implicit a period ago, White talked astir a imaginable pairing astatine a large UFC lawsuit that should beryllium held successful January. He mentioned that Topuria could pb the program, starring galore to judge that a instrumentality is astir a definite thing. But caller reports accidental wholly different.

Spanish writer Alvaro Colmenero, who is considered a idiosyncratic good versed successful everything related to Topuria, said that a batch has changed. According to him, these were "private situations" and supposedly everything that follows volition beryllium a astonishment for galore successful the MMA community. He claims that Ilia volition surely not participate the Octagon during January, and February does not look similar a realistic enactment to him either. According to his assessment, it is astir apt that the champion volition instrumentality lone successful the spring.

Such accusation disappointed the fans a bit, due to the fact that they waited a agelong clip to spot what his archetypal rubric defence would look like. Additionally, the hold could further complicate the concern successful a part wherever aggregate fighters are vying for a challenger position. While Tsarukyan sees himself arsenic the logical adjacent opponent, Pimblett hopes his clash with the champion could bring his ain opportunity.

Whatever the crushed for the delay, it looks similar fans volition person to beryllium patient, arsenic the champion's instrumentality won't beryllium arsenic speedy arsenic it seemed conscionable a fewer weeks ago.