Ilia Topuria is interested in doing The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) alongside Paddy Pimblett ahead of his UFC return.Topuria is set to fight again in the first half of 2027, having almost fully recovered from the broken bones he sustained when he lost the lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC White House in June.Topuria suffered his first career defeat against Gaethje but is feeling more motivated than ever ahead of his returnGettyLast month, Pimblett suggested that coaching against bitter rival Topuria on the reality TV show produced by the UFC would set the perfect foundation for their mega-fight.Topuria and Pimblett have long been linked to meet in the UFC ever since the pair got caught up in an altercation at a London hotel in 2022.Both UFC stars even faced off in the Octagon after Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira to become the new lightweight champion last year.With Pimblett coming off a career-best win over Benoit Saint Denis in July, it feels like there is no better time to book what could be one of the UFC’s biggest fights ever against Topuria.Although Topuria has made it clear he wants a rematch with Gaethje, he recognises his timeline for a UFC return would work perfectly to take on Pimblett in TUF.Topuria talks Pimblett on TUFSpeaking to One On One MMA with talkSPORT’s Adam Catterall this week in his first English interview since losing to Gaethje, Topuria said: “I heard something about that [TUF].“They want to do it, me against Paddy. Nothing official. I haven’t spoken with anyone from the UFC just to clear it up.“But, yeah, it’s something that could happen. Why not?”The 29-year-old and talkSPORT’s No. 6 pound-for-pound UFC fighter added: “It would be a huge fight [against Pimblett].“As I told you, you put me against anyone right now, and I’m going to change their lives financially.Topuria believes he is the money in the UFC’s lightweight division right nowGettyA fight against Pimblett would be one of the biggest in UFC historyGetty“And the bad part is that I’m going to change their lives physically also.“Because they are going to face a man that has seen everything in this sport.“Nothing fears me.”When is Topuria returning to UFC?Topuria said he will make a full return to contract training in January.In the months since his Gaethje defeat, the Georgian-Spanish fighter has only been able to run and do strength and conditioning.“Once I get back to training in January, let’s see how I’m going to feel, how my body is going to respond,” Topuria concluded.Topuria believes he will be ready to fight again in April, May or JuneGetty“I believe that my body is going to respond to me well, as always, and everything is going to be alright.“If everything is alright, I’m going to get back in the Octagon in April, May, June, something like that.”What is The Ultimate Fighter?TUF is a reality TV show that offers up-and-coming fighters the chance to fight for a UFC contract while being coached by the sport’s biggest stars.The first season aired in 2005, and its gripping finale between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar is largely credited with saving the UFC from bankruptcy and putting the company in the mainstream.The last series, TUF 34, concluded at UFC Vegas 121 in September.Tina Black, coached by Daniel Cormier, won the women’s strawweight bracket, while Ilimbek Akylbek, coached by Michael Bisping, was crowned the winner at men’s bantamweight.UFC ScheduleThere are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.