Conor McGregor will be making his official mixed martial arts return early next year against fellow fan-favourite, Donald Cerrone.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship stars have been linked to an intriguing clash since last August, but ‘The Notorious’ reportedly turned down the fight after the promotion did not allow him to own company shares.
Last month, talks about their potential fight were reignited as McGregor himself revealed he will be fighting ‘Cowboy’ on his return at January 18, 2020.
McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar, recently shared that the negotiation is progressing and their camp is expecting ‘an announcement could happen in the coming weeks.’
Now, everything is cast in stone.
UFC president Dana White announced McGregor has signed the dotted line for the fight against Cerrone, which will go down at the T-mobile Arena on January 18.
“Breaking: Per Dana White, Conor McGregor has signed to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on Jan. 18, at welterweight,” ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported.
“Conor has signed and Cerrone is ready to go.”
Breaking: Per Dana White (@danawhite), Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) has signed to face Donald Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) at UFC 246 on Jan. 18, at welterweight.
"Conor has signed and Cerrone is ready to go."
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 28, 2019
Welterweight Return
The announcement came as a shock to MMA fans as the Irish star will be competing at 170 pounds.
The last time he fought at welterweight was three years ago in a back-to-back showdown against Nate Diaz.
‘The Notorious’ was submitted by the Stockton fighter in their first meeting but he was able to exact revenge in August 2016, defeating Diaz by way of majority decision.
Both welterweight fights produced two of the highest pay-per-view buys in the UFC history.
McGregor’s upcoming return to welterweight fuels speculations that he may be coming for Jorge Masvidal, who has been campaigning for a blockbuster fight.
Conor McGregor to fight Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone on January 18 | https://t.co/gvLJyKTHxf pic.twitter.com/CHmXFbKcMN
— TheMacLife (@Maclifeofficial) November 28, 2019
Ending The Drought
In search for his first MMA win since 2016, the former two-division champion is looking to bounce back from an ugly loss to Khabib Nuragomodov last year.
McGregor returned from a two-year hiatus at UFC 229 but was given a rude welcome by the lightweight champ.
A post-fight melee ensued, which resulted to hefty fines and lengthy suspensions for both lightweights.
The Irishman has been also involved in various controversies this year.
He was caught in a video stealing and smashing a fan’s mobile phone outside a Miami hotel last March.
And just last August, he punched an elderly man in the face at an Irish pub over a whiskey dispute.
A win against Cerrone this January could be a redemption of sort for McGregor.
Meanwhile, ‘Cowboy’ has been winless in the past two outings but his last fight at 170 pounds was a success, defeating Mike Perry by first round submission.
Will Conor McGregor finally get that elusive win? Or will Donald Cerrone deal the Irish star his second straight MMA loss?
Share to us your prediction for this welterweight fight in the comment section below.
BREAKING: Conor McGregor is returning to the Octagon. https://t.co/ymZzRcUFNV pic.twitter.com/MODef74pPd
— theScore (@theScore) November 28, 2019
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone)