Conor McGregor, former two-weight UFC Champion, is set for a UFC return in January as the Irishman will take on Donald Cerrone. The fight will take place on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas. The 31-year-old professional mixed martial artist has not fought since his defeat at the hand of Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title fight at UFC 229 in October 2018. He has an MMA record of 21 wins and four losses.
"Conor has signed and Cowboy is ready to go," said UFC's president Dana White in an interview to ESPN. "I think it's gonna happen this time," Cerrone had told TMZ Sports in October. "I really do. Conor's really serious about making a comeback" the veteran further added.
McGregor's legal battles
The 36-year-old American fighter Donald Cerrone had also said that McGregor is a great fighter and it would make up for a great fight between the two. Cerrone has a professional MMA record of 36 wins and 13 losses.
McGregor still remains as UFC's biggest star and arguably the most bankable of them all. Since his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, McGregor has been busy with legal troubles. In a court hearing on November 1, he pled guilty to assaulting a man in a pub in Dublin earlier this year.
The New York Times also reported that there is an ongoing investigation on McGregor in Ireland for two separate sexual assault allegations.
This will be Conor McGregor's third fight at 170 pounds with the previous two held against Nate Diaz. McGregor lost the first fight to Diaz to a second-round submission but got his revenge in the re-match.
Conor McGregor currently holds the No. 3 position in the official UFC lightweight rankings while Donald Cerrone is ranked No. 5. There is a lot at stake here especially for the Irishman McGregor who has come under a lot of media scrutiny. His fanbase also seems to be shrinking and he will have a lot to prove on January 18 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
