Former two-weight UFC champion Conor McGregor is set to return to the octagon on 18 January where he will take on veteran American Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in a welterweight bout at UFC 246.

“Conor has signed and ‘Cowboy’ is ready to go,” Dana White, the UFC president said, giving the green light for the return of one of MMA’s most bankable stars.

Irishman McGregor, who has 21 professional wins and four losses in MMA and a single defeat to Floyd Mayweather on his professional boxing record, has not fought since losing his lightweight title to Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission in October 2018.

The 31-year-old has previously fought twice at 170 pounds against Nate Diaz, losing the first fight to a second-round submission but winning an epic rematch on points.

Since losing to Nurmagomedov, McGregor has had several brushes with the law, and, in a court hearing on 1 November, pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in a pub in Dublin earlier in the year.