Amid personal issues in his married life, UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria confirmed a few weeks ago that he will step away from the octagon for the time being. Still, he promised fans and the UFC that “as soon as the matter” is resolved, he will return. For now, the champ set the timeline, saying he will not return until the first quarter of next year.

In the meantime, the Georgian-Spanish star gave the promotion the green light to push the division forward without him. As a result, the UFC scheduled the interim title fight next month at UFC 324, with the winner set to face Topuria upon his return. Now, Ilia Topuria has revealed fresh plans for Gaethje and also highlighted what Dana White and the UFC plan for him.

Ilia Topuria hints at “different plans” the UFC has for Justin Gaethje

After his standout performance at UFC 313, 37-year-old Justin Gaethje expressed his desire to secure a title shot before retiring. At first, that opportunity seemed unlikely, but after several back-and-forth discussions with the promotion, ‘The Highlight’ earned a spot in the title contention line.

Meanwhile, in the latest update, Ilia Topuria dropped a cryptic hint that the promotion is currently focusing on setting up a fight between him and Paddy Pimblett if the Briton wins at UFC 324.

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“Whatever He wants to happen for me will be good. If Paddy wins, if Justin Gaethje wins… really, if Justin Gaethje wins, UFC has different plans… which I can’t talk about right now,” Ilia Topuria said in an interview to Carlos Contreras Legaspi via ESPN Deportes.

Shortly after, ‘El Matador’ shifted the conversation and steered the discussion in another direction. “But well, if I were offered to fight Justin Gaethje at the White House, it would also be a very exciting fight for me. It’s something that would thrill me a lot.”

At the same time, the Spanish-Georgian questioned Dana White and the UFC’s plan to make the title bout against Paddy Pimblett happen. “I don’t know how capable he will be of ruining UFC’s plans and Paddy Pimblett’s plans,” said Topuria.

The Topuria vs. Pimblett clash is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated fights in modern UFC history, as both fighters have maintained a long-standing rivalry. A Gaethje win, however, could complicate the picture, leading Topuria to vacate.

In that scenario, the promotion could recall sidelined Arman Tsarukyan. Once Tsarukyan returns, Topuria could face Islam Makhachev in the welterweight division, a matchup he has long sought.

Topuria maps out potential superfight with Islam Makhachev prior to temporary break

Fans considered the potential showdown between Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev one of the generational fights, and it looked possible as of last year. However, the promotion shifted plans, which quickly cooled the excitement. After ‘El Matador’ left the lightweight division, Makhachev moved up to the 170-pound division, dashing fans’ hopes of witnessing what many compared to a McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov 2-style clash.

Earlier this summer, Donald Trump announced the UFC White House event for next year, reigniting hopes for a Topuria vs. Makhachev fight at the South Lawn, since both fighters had already given the green light to compete.

Now, Ilia Topuria is targeting a catchweight bout at the White House for the new pound-for-pound number one position.

“The fight I would really like to have is against Islam Makhachev in the third weight division,” Ilia Topuria said. “Maybe I’ll have a fight and then in the summer there’s a date when they’ll let me move up a weight class so I can fight for the third belt… Or maybe they’ll create a new belt called the pound-for-pound title at a catchweight, so I’ll fight for that pound-for-pound belt.”

What do you think about Ilia Topuria’s goal of becoming a three-division champion? Do you believe the promotion will actually create a new belt for him, especially with Donald Trump having mentioned in the past that the White House event would feature 8–9 title bouts? Share your thoughts below.