Conor McGregor announces Jan. 18 return, targets rematches with Diaz, Nurmagomedov

Conor McGregor is a man on a mission, and he has laid out his plan for his next three fights, starting with a return to action in Las Vegas on Jan. 18.

The Dublin native attended a press conference in Russia with his sports betting sponsorship partners Parimatch and, after the usual commercial platitudes opened proceedings, McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) wasted no time in getting his message across, and that message was clear – he’s coming back.

“Right now, I am building this back up. My hunger is rising. I have some news for you all, for the world here,” McGregor told the assembled media at Telegraph Hall in Moscow.

“For me, I wish to compete here in Moscow, Russia, we know that. This is known. We know what belt 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.”

But McGregor’s return will not involve an immediate rematch with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC), as he explained.

“I am not waiting around for that man,” McGregor said. “He is a known pullout, a known fearer of risk. He does not take risk. So, for me, I am not waiting around. I would like to announce the return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor will take place on Jan. 18 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.”

McGregor hinted that frictions with the UFC still remained, as he labeled the promotion “crafty” as he explained why he wouldn’t reveal the name of his first opponent. But while he held off naming his comeback opponent, he did go on to lay out his plan to move on to two huge matchups later in 2020.

“I have agreed the date with the company,” McGregor said. “As for the opponent, I have the opponent’s name, but for me, the game that I am in and from experience, if I was to give you people the name as I would love to do, I know the UFC would flip it, because they are a crafty company.

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

“That will be the beginning of my season. I will then look to compete against the winner of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal for the ‘Bad Mother(Expletive)’ title. Obviously, I have history with Nate Diaz, we are set to make the trilogy belt, so we will see how that goes, I feel Nate will get the better of that one, and we will contest the trilogy belt.

“Then I will seek the Moscow belt, and it will be against the winner of Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. But that is the bout we want (and) we want the bout in Moscow. The people of Russia deserve this bout to take place, the people of the world deserve this bout to take place.

“It is an inevitable rematch, it is a rematch that I will come in sharp, fresh, I will have no injuries, I will have no alcohol, I will have no outside influences. I will be fully focused, exactly what the people deserve, exactly what the fans deserve, and we will settle it, once and for all.”