The cloud over the UFC lightweight belt could finally lift, as Ilia Topuria moves forward in his ongoing matrimonial legal battle. Since winning the title last summer, Topuria hasn’t defended it, creating a long stretch of inactivity. Meanwhile, during this personal hiatus, the UFC stayed patient, as his court case involved custody of his child and property. The Spanish-Georgian star faced serious pressure, but now his return looks closer than ever.

In the meantime, while Ilia Topuria was away, Dana White & Co. pushed for the Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett fight at UFC 324 last month. At 37, ‘The Highlight’ dominated Pimblett and claimed the interim lightweight belt. He aimed to either unify the title with ‘El Matador’ or, failing that, push the promotion to strip him and crown him the new undisputed champ. However, the latest court verdict involving Topuria shook those plans.

Ilia Topuria’s legal battle reaches a crucial new stage

“BREAKING: Ilia Topuria and his ex-wife, Giorgina Uzcategui, have reached a settlement, and the case has officially been dismissed. The agreement reflects the terms originally proposed by Topuria,” wrote Red Corner MMA Updates on X.

The MMA page also reported that, after the dust settled, Ilia Topuria returned to his “private home” in Madrid. He is now preparing for a comeback, with sights set on a potential appearance at the White House. Meanwhile, the UFC plans to feature multiple title fights at the upcoming “one and done” White House event, according to updates from President Donald Trump.

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“The champ is back!!!” he wrote on social media, posting sparring and training footage from the gym, most likely signaling a fight against Justin Gaethje next. Although nothing is finalized yet, it makes sense to book the undisputed lightweight title fight, since fans still regard him as one of the promotion’s top stars, and the surrounding hype continues to build for the interim champion, Justin Gaethje.

Initially, early rumors suggested that Dana White & Co. wanted to stage a Topuria vs. Pimblett showdown; however, Pimblett’s loss quickly derailed those plans. While White had previously mentioned plans of booking Topuria for the White House Card based on his availability, the recent update and Gaethje’s win at UFC 324 could set the potential undisputed title fight on the June 14 event.

Back in December, Ilia Topuria had revealed in a candid interview that the UFC already had a contingency plan if Gaethje came out on top. This development could also finally set up the highly anticipated fan-favorite showdown between Topuria and Islam Makhachev.

With that said, as the UFC begins booking matches for the White House card, we are likely to hear an update on ‘El Matador’s next fight soon. However, a former BMF champion has given his thoughts on the Topuria vs. Makhachev matchup happening instead of his title unification.

Jorge Masvidal predicts a difficult matchup for Topuria in the welterweight division

After chasing Islam Makhachev at lightweight, Ilia Topuria later proposed to make a shift to the welterweight division to fight the Dagestani. With Makhachev agreeing to fight ‘El Matador’ at the welterweight division, Topuria could cement his legacy further with a win over the Dagestani phenom. In fact, former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal expresses his confidence in Topuria.

“No one’s ever won three belts. It’s a very uphill battle for Ilia to go to 170 and beat Makhachev. If Ilia does that, he’s above everybody – Jon Jones, GSP – like you’ve got to put him in his own category of greatness… Now you’re talking about he’s gonna go to 170 and beat the No. 1 pound-for-pound guy who is just crushing everybody. He takes the biggest names to the black hole and submits them,” said Jorge Masvidal via Death Row MMA.

What’s your take on Jorge Masvidal’s comment? If Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev ever clash, who do you think would dominate this epic showdown? And which fight should the UFC make for the White House card: Topuria vs. Gaethje or Makhachev vs. Topuria? Drop your thoughts below.