The Takedown | UFC: Conor McGregor puts wheels in motion for mega money Jorge Masvidal fight with welterweight return

‘The Notorious’ will return to the Octagon against Donald Cerrone on January 18 – but crucially, not at lightweight

McGregor can prove he’s not too ‘small’ to fight Masvidal, and set up the biggest money fight possible in the UFC today

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Jorge Masvidal (left) looks on during his fight against Nate Diaz. A fight with Conor McGregor (right) seems increasingly likely to happen. Photo: AFP/Reuters

Published: 11:35am, 29 Nov 2019Updated: 12:05pm, 29 Nov 2019

Conor McGregor will return to the UFC Octagon against Donald Cerrone on January 18. This much we’ve known for a while, but what we didn’t know was that it’s going to be at 170 pounds.

“The Notorious” will fight at welterweight for the third time in his career, after a loss and a victory against Nate Diaz in 2016.

A slightly strange decision, given he’s been shouting about getting a rematch with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The fight with “Cowboy” at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas will be McGregor’s first outing in the UFC since that October 2018 defeat by the Russian. And it looks like the former featherweight and lightweight champion now has eyes on moving up again.

It makes perfect sense – there are big money fights at 170, including a Diaz trilogy, but none would be more lucrative than McGregor versus Jorge Masvidal – the UFC’s official “BMF” versus its unofficial one.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}The Takedown | UFC: Conor McGregor puts wheels in motion for mega money Jorge Masvidal fight with welterweight return

The Takedown | UFC: Conor McGregor puts wheels in motion for mega money Jorge Masvidal fight with welterweight return