Dana White said earlier this month that Topuria was “ready to fight” and floated either a Justin Gaethje rematch or a grudge bout with Paddy Pimblett as the next move. Topuria’s own camp does not see it that way.

Gallo, who has resumed Topuria’s training programme in Miami, told Spanish journalist Álvaro Colmenero that the fighter will not be back before February 2027.

“He’ll be ready to fight starting from February,” Gallo said, per Colmenero.

Colmenero floated Las Vegas in March or Miami in April as plausible venues, though no card has been officially attached to Topuria’s name.

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Eight months out from the White House beating

Topuria left the White House lawn on 14 June with two fractured orbital bones, a broken nose and a broken foot after a fourth-round corner stoppage handed the lightweight title to Gaethje. That result made Gaethje the UFC lightweight champion and ended Topuria’s undefeated professional record.

The state athletic commission handed Topuria a 180-day medical suspension that runs into December. A February return would give him roughly two more months of full training on top of that clearance, and eight months in total since the fight.

White and the trainer are not aligned

White told reporters that Topuria was ready and that the promotion had two fights in mind.

“Both sound good to me. They’re both great, we don’t lose with either one of those fights,” White said.

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“Obviously, the rematch with Gaethje is incredible, and a Paddy Pimblett fight is amazing, you know?” he added.

Gallo’s timeline knocks either of those out of 2026. His camp has rejected the notion of an imminent comeback, saying the plan is to build Topuria back gradually in Miami before any booking is discussed.

Gaethje and Pimblett are not in a hurry either

The delay does not appear to be a problem for the other names in the picture. Gaethje is still nursing hand damage from the finish and does not plan to defend the belt in 2026, telling reporters he intends to enjoy being champion for the rest of the year. He has also indicated he is not keen on giving Topuria an immediate rematch, and would prefer to see the challenger rebuild his position at 155 pounds first.

Pimblett, meanwhile, has said publicly that the fight has never actually been offered to him.

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Topuria’s medical suspension ends in December, his trainer wants him fight-ready in February, and none of the potential opponents have a date on the calendar for early 2027.

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