Conor McGregor will be back in the Octagon on January 23, launching his comeback with a fight against Dustin Poirier.
Stats PerformUpdate: Nov 19th, 2020 17:34 EST
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Conor McGregor has agreed to come out of retirement for a rematch with Dustin Poirier that finally appears to be signed and sealed.
The 32-year-old Irishman will tackle American Poirier on January 23, and the Octagon showdown looks set to take place in Abu Dhabi.
It has been a fight that has been spoken about for several weeks, with UFC president Dana White saying in October that McGregor had yet to sign the contract for the clash.
On Thursday, the McGregor-affiliated website The Mac Life announced the paperwork had gone through.
McGregor retweeted news of that report and included it in his Instagram story, although he did not immediately make any personal comment about the agreement.
The clash will go ahead at lightweight, and it marks the end of a short spell away from the sport for McGregor.
He announced his retirement in June, but the former featherweight and lightweight champion has been unable to resist another eye-catching clash.
Dustin first, but I’m down for it all. Throwback to this classic lol. Look at Dana hahahah Vintage MMA entertainment. El Chap! pic.twitter.com/GiC3yl8HB6
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 15, 2020
McGregor and 31-year-old Poirier will be reunited, over six years after they went head to head at featherweight in UFC 178.
That was a one-sided affair, with McGregor triumphing after just one minute and 46 seconds of the first round. However, Poirier is now ranked second, behind Justin Gaethje, in the division that has lost its champion Khabib Nurmagomedov to retirement.
White has said the McGregor-Poirier battle will not be a title fight, and has indicated he expects Khabib to also come out of retirement.