Dana White just cast a fresh doubt on what everyone assumed was a done deal. He stated to CBS that the winner of the Gaethje-Pimblett fight will likely face Topuria, then added that we will witness how it progresses throughout the year. The unclear timeline gave the impression that Topuria might not return any time soon. Initially, White had assured that the champion would be back by Spring. But his cautious approach raised doubts about the situation.

The timing ambiguity feels like karmic justice for a main event nobody asked for in the first place. The crowd has been angry ever since the UFC picked Gaethje versus Pimblett over the obvious contender, Arman Tsarukyan. The top contender had a decisive victory over Dan Hooker, and thus, according to the ranking system, he should have had his chance. Instead, he was ignored while Pimblett jumped over the other fighters, and this was all happening even though Pimblett had not beaten a single top-five opponent throughout his entire UFC career.

Lightweight division stuck in Ilia Topuria limbo

“Everybody wants the winner of [Gaethje vs Paddy] to fight Ilia Topuria. We’ll see how that plays out throughout the year,” White told CBS.

That non-committal answer highlights the chaos currently brewing in the lightweight division. Topuria’s return from his legal troubles in Spain remains unclear, and so does his future in the UFC. Even Dana White is unsure how to proceed, leaving the entire division in limbo.

Arman Tsarukyan said the UFC guaranteed him a summer title shot after defeating Hooker. That timeline now looks increasingly uncertain due to White’s doubts about Topuria’s availability. Topuria is reportedly dealing with serious legal and personal issues, which have limited his activity. If White’s prediction is correct, the case could last a long time, allowing the UFC to book Gaethje vs. Pimblett for the undisputed title. Once again, the fighter who truly earned the opportunity gets left behind.

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The lightweight division deserves better than being in a fog of uncertainty. Tsarukyan earned his shot through merit while everyone else waits for answers that may never come. Until Topuria’s situation resolves or the UFC makes a definitive call, the entire weight class remains frozen in frustrating limbo.

Dana White’s real UFC 324 main event

UFC 324’s main event, which is a topic of criticism, still does not solve the problem of the lightweight title fight, but Dana White appears to be more engaged with the event taking place in the co-main event slot. The UFC president hailed Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes as a fight that the main card needs so badly at the moment. White’s excitement for this fight is opposite to the non-answers he gave about the Gaethje-Pimblett winner’s fate. Possibly, that’s the case because the Harrison vs. Nunes fight has the qualities of merit, legacy, and real mystery that attract the audience.

“The Kayla Harrison-Amanda Nunes fight is the greatest women’s fight of all time,” White told CBS. He pointed to Harrison’s Olympic gold medal in judo and her dominant run through PFL before capturing UFC gold. White emphasized that Nunes, whom he calls the GOAT of female combat sports, came out of retirement specifically because Harrison won the belt. Harrison has only lost once in her career, a decision to Larissa Pacheco after beating her twice before. Nunes, meanwhile, demolished every bantamweight champion in UFC history, including Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Holly Holm. She retired after beating Irene Aldana in 2023, but couldn’t resist the Harrison challenge.

That was the ultimate superfight, two legends with the best claim to greatness fighting each other when it counted most. All the hype was genuine because it pitted two proven champions against each other, and there was no need for pretenders—just pure fire of competition.