UFC President Dana White has officially announced that Conor McGregor will make his return to the octagon at UFC 229 in Las Vegas on October 6. As expected, McGregor's opponent will be none other than UFC Lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor first laid the groundwork for his fight against Nurmagomedov back in April when he attacked a bus full of UFC fighters, including the Lightweight champ, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 30-year old Irish superstar recently plead guilty to a single violation of disorderly conduct as part of a plea deal that involves no jail time and will not affect McGregor's travel visa.
McGregor (21-3) made his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather last August but he has not fought in the UFC since November 2016, when he defeated Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden. Nurmagomedov (26-0) won the Lightweight belt in Brooklyn on April 7 by defeating Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision, after McGregor was stripped of it for inactivity.
On October 6, McGregor will look to reclaim the 155-pound championship he was forced to relinquish months ago.
ESPN's Brett Okamoto writes, "Nurmagomedov has replaced McGregor as the most dominant force in the division, and is the No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world according to ESPN. Stylistically, he is a dominant wrestler, compared to McGregor's reputation as a devastating striker."