Not many people thought much when Ilia Topuria initially announced his hiatus for the first quarter of 2026. Soon, rumors about his personal life began to circulate. The issue at hand appears to stem from Topuria’s separation from his wife, Giorgina Uzcategui Badell, with whom he shares two children. And now, he has come forward with a statement and offered clarity to his fans.

“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,” Ilia Topuria wrote in his Instagram post.

“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.”

Topuria also explained that he chose to stay tight-lipped about his situation because it could have affected his children. He finally decided to open up about it because of one big reason. Topuria believes that there is a false narrative going around that could damage his reputation.

Now that Topuria has explained his situation, he is not willing to make any more comments unless the whole debacle comes to an end through legal proceedings.

“Many individuals have faced similar situations, and time and again the legal system has ultimately clarified the facts. Today, I am stepping forward not only for my family and myself, but also to demonstrate that no one should be forced to yield to intimidation, manipulation, or fear,” the statement further read.

That said, he has requested fans to stop any speculations about his family and personal life.

While it is a tough time for ‘El Matador’, it is also raising doubts over his future as a UFC champion. That is because Paddy Pimblett, who shares a fierce rivalry with him, believes that there is a chance that the lightweight kingpin gets forced to vacate the belt.

Topuria has mentioned nothing about vacating his belt, but his English rival is enthusiastic about the idea.

Paddy Pimblett is ready to reach the top

With Ilia Topuria out of action, Dana White set up the interim title fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje. The interim belt only came into play because the Georgian-Spaniard wouldn’t fight during the first quarter of 2026. But given his recent statement, he could be out for a longer period, and that might be a bit too long for the UFC to wait.

During a recent interview, Paddy Pimblett revealed that he has no issues with Ilia Topuria from a personal standpoint. He simply wants to throw some fisticuffs in a fight. He wants to see Topuria come back after dealing with his legal troubles. In case he fails to make it sooner, Pimblett is certain that White will ask Topuria to vacate the undisputed belt.

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The Scouser plans to take that belt after beating Justin Gaethje.

“All I care about is getting him in that octagon and fighting him. Anything in his personal life, I hope it goes well, but you never know. If he doesn’t come back by June, July, he might have to vacate his belt, and I’ll become undisputed champ without even fighting,” Paddy Pimblett said a day ago.

It’ll be interesting to see how the lightweight division shapes up in the coming months. More than that, we’ll also have to wait and see how the legal situation pans out for Ilia Topuria.

Will his outside-the-Octagon issues cause a problem for his title reign? After all, he recently claimed to have less time left in MMA. He plans to transition to boxing. Let us know what you think in the comments below.