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It looks like Conor McGregor has finally committed to a UFC comeback.
According to UFC president Dana White, Conor McGregor is getting back into the Octagon on January 18th.
Brett Okamoto of ESPN is reporting that McGregor will return against Donald Cerrone at welterweight at UFC 246 in Las Vegas. The bout will not be contested for any belt. White says that Conor has signed on for it, and that Cerrone has agreed to terms. Cerrone has also agreed to a new multi-fight contract with the promotion according to his representatives.
“Conor has signed and Cowboy is ready to go,” White said.
The bout will serve as the headliner of the PPV event.
McGregor has not competed since being submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October of 2018. The former two-division champion has been teasing a return on this date for a while, and Cerrone was the rumored opponent.
Cerrone is coming off a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje, and has lost two in a row overall. But he is a proven draw, and holds the record for most wins, finishes, and most performance bonuses earned in the promotion.
Its unclear why the bout is taking place at welterweight instead of lightweight, but I’m sure we’ll find out in the coming days. McGregor has competed at welterweight twice before, splitting a pair of bouts with Nate Diaz. Cerrone had an uneven run at 170, going 6-4 in ten bouts before coming back down to 155.