UFC superstar Conor McGregor is set to return to the Octagon in January for a fight with veteran Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone.
According to a report by ESPN, UFC president Dana White confirmed that McGregor had signed an agreement for the bout at UFC 246 in Las Vegas on January 18 (19th in Australia).
"Conor has signed and Cowboy is ready to go," White told ESPN.
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The fight will be McGregor's first since his dramatic loss to lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 last October.
That bout ended via submission in the fourth round before all hell broke loose as Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage to attack some of McGregor's team, while the Irishman traded blows with some of his opponent's entourage who jumped into the Octagon.
Significantly, the between McGregor and Cerrone is set for welterweight, despite both their last bouts coming at 155lbs.
Cerrone, 36, has built a reputation as one of MMA's gamest fighters, regularly taking on whoever the UFC puts in front of him, often on short notice.
Despite coming off two losses (Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje), Cerrone's tendency to feature in exciting fights has no doubt helped earn him a matchup with the company's biggest name.
'Cowboy' holds the records for most UFC wins and finishes.
McGregor, 31, has previously held the featherweight and lightweight belts in the promotion, though has only had one fight in the past three years.
He recently held a press conference in Moscow in which he laid out his plans for 2019, saying after the fight at UFC 246, he hopes to take on Jorge Masvidal (who recently defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 244), before fighting the winner of Nurmagomedov and Ferguson, who are reportedly due to meet in April.
