CONOR McGREGOR is on standby to fight for the UFC lightweight title if Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson is cancelled for a fifth time.

Nurmagomedov - who beat McGregor in October 2018 - is set to defend his 155lbs crown against Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18.

4 Khabib and Tony Ferguson have an unfortunate history of cancelled fights Credit: Getty - Contributor

4 Conor McGregor is in line to fight for the belt if Khabib or Ferguson pull out Credit: PA:Press Association

But the pair have an unfortunate history of cancelled fights, as four bouts between them have been axed due to injury or weight cutting problems.

Not taking any risks, UFC president Dana White told ESPN that McGregor - who returns to the octagon against Donald Cerrone - will be waiting in the wings if history again repeats itself.

White said: “Conor wants to fight three times this year.

“He's hoping that if he beats Cowboy, he can turn right around and fight Khabib, but that timing and math isn't going to work out.

“But you know Conor. Conor thinks the way Conor thinks.

“His thing is, I'll fight Cowboy, I'll beat Cowboy, and I'll be ready to fight Khabib at 155 if anything happens, because we're going into Khabib-Tony again.

“So Conor would be ready for that fight.”

The Notorious, 31, makes his anticipated cage comeback at welterweight, but has still been promised the next crack at Nurmagomedov’s belt should be get past Cerrone.

UFC chief White revealed he has allowed McGregor to avoid a weight cut on his return, while fighting at welterweight opens the door for him to face Jorge Masvidal in another super-fight.

He explained: “It's a 155-pound fight that they're not cutting weight for.

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"And realistically when Conor said I want to do this fight at 170 and then gave me the reasoning he wanted to do it, I was like, there's no way Cowboy is going to argue with that.

“Why cut the weight if they both agreed they don't want to cut weight?

“The other thing is is that Conor has this idea too that if things don't go his way and he gets the fight he'll have had a 170 fight in his pocket again and considering the Masvidal fight.”

4 McGregor makes his cage comeback against Donald Cerrone at welterweight Credit: Getty - Contributor