UFC champion Ilia Topuria opens up on his recent divorce

UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has spoken openly about his recent divorce.

As we know, Ilia Topuria is one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts. However, to kickstart 2026, Ilia was taking some personal time as a result of a separation between him and his wife. He came out and released a statement on the matter, but for the most part, the rest of the proceedings have been kept behind closed doors to protect the privacy of the family.

Now, Ilia Topuria is ready to make his return to the cage as he prepares to face off against Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC Freedom 250. Gaethje earned the opportunity by defeating Paddy Pimblett earlier this year to win the interim lightweight title, and his reward for that is a showdown with a very motivated ‘El Matador.

In a recent interview, Ilia Topuria had the opportunity to speak about his separation from his wife and how it impacted him and his relationship with his children.

Ilia Topuria discusses his divorce

“It changed me from night to day. It’s like you’re not conscious of things until it is your turn to be. You’re used to waking up in the morning with your children, seeing them, and suddenly all of that changes for you. It’s hard.

“What I have learned the most from all this situation is to listen to my mother, because mothers have intuition and they see things that we do not see. I love you, mom.”

Moving forward, it certainly seems like Topuria’s head is in the right place in terms of his fighting future and what he wants to achieve in the sport. Hopefully, when he goes out there against Gaethje at the White House, we get to see the very best version of the Spaniard in what promises to be an all-action affair.

Beyond that, if he’s able to pick up the win, there is a very real chance that he will attempt to become the first fighter to become a three-weight undisputed champion in the UFC. For now, though, one step at a time.