Conor McGregor Confirms Return To The Octagon In Early 2020

Former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor is returning to the Octagon in early 2020.

McGregor, holding a special press conference in Moscow, Russia through Parimatch, confirmed that he plans to compete on January 18 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “Notorious” did not reveal an opponent at this time for the bout.

Conor McGregor’s Moscow Press Conference

“I have some news for you all, for the world, here today,” McGregor said (thanks to MMA Fighting for the quotes). “For me, I wish to compete here in Moscow, Russia. We know that, this is known. We know what bout I am seeking here in Mother Russia, the people of Russia deserve this inevitable rematch to take place here in Moscow and it will happen.

“I would like to announce the return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor will take place on January 18 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.”

McGregor won the interim featherweight title with a victory over Chad Mendes. He unified that belt when he knocked out Jose Aldo.

After facing Nate Diaz twice, McGregor claimed the lightweight championship over Eddie Alvarez. He never defended either title.

Claims UFC Would ‘Flip It’ If He Named The Opponent

“So, that is my comeback fight, it’s 12 weeks this Saturday. I’m in prime physical condition, I’ve agreed the date with the company,” he said. “As far as the opponent, I have the opponent’s name, but for me and the game that I’m in, and from experience, if I was to give you people the name – which I would love to do – I know the UFC would flip it because they are a crafty company.

“For me, here’s this one, ask the UFC who the opponent is because I do not give a (expletive) who the opponent is. January 18, the return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor. Twelve weeks this Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.”

Plans For Next Two Bouts Also Revealed

During the press conference, McGregor said that it would not be Khabib Nurmagomedov, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, for his next opponent. He said after his return fight, he’d like to face either Diaz or Jorge Masvidal.

“That will be the beginning of my season,” McGregor said. “I will then look to compete against the winner of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal for the Bad (expletive) title. Obviously, I have history with Nate Diaz, we are set to have the trilogy bout. We’ll see how that one goes, I feel Nate will get the better of that one and then we will contest the trilogy bout.”

Diaz and Masvidal meet later this year at UFC 244 in New York City.

After the return fight and either Diaz or Masvidal, McGregor wants the winner of Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. That bout has been rumored, but not made official, by the UFC for the lightweight title.

McGregor also continued his verbal attacks on Nurmagomedov. He lost via submission to the champion in late 2018 and has not competed since.

“He can run – and he does run – it’s in the nature of the Dagestani man to run, every great Russian knows this about the Dagestani men, every Chechen knows this about the Dagestani men – they run and they cower,” McGregor said. “That’s it, and that’s what you’re seeing with Khabib, he is running and he is cowering away like he did in Brooklyn when I showed up that day. It’s an inevitable rematch. I will tell him this: you can run, but you cannot hide. You see him last week, or whenever it was, he ran out of the press conference, he scurried out of the press conference here in Moscow. It’s in his nature, but trust me, I am coming for him.

“But forget him for the minute, like I said, January 18 – the return of a fully focused ‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor will take place in the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.”