Khabib Nurmagomedov (left) is the lightweight champion after Conor McGregor (right) was stripped of the title in April for being inactive
Conor McGregor's comeback fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov is the "biggest fight in UFC history", says Dana White.
McGregor will fight Nurmagomedov for the Russian's lightweight title in Las Vegas on 6 October.
The Irishman, 30, who was beaten by Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in August 2017, has not fought in the UFC since November 2016.
In July he avoided jail after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct following an incident at a UFC media day.
The former two-weight champion had faced multiple criminal charges stemming from an altercation in April with other fighters.
McGregor was filmed throwing a metal dolly into a window of a bus parked at a Barclay's Center loading bay.
The coach bus had been carrying a group of UFC athletes and employees at the time, including Nurmagomedov, and two fighters were injured.
Before the incident, McGregor was stripped of his lightweight title for being inactive, which Nurmagomedov, 29, then won by beating Al Iaquinta to extend his record to 26 straight wins.
"We knew this was the fight to make, " UFC president White told Fox Sports. "I believe it is the biggest fight in the history of the company, other than the Mayweather fight. This thing is going to be massive."
Asked if he was concerned following McGregor's arrest and subsequent deal with US prosecutors, White told ESPN: "Conor came and did what he did and didn't expect the results that happened. I think we are not going to have any problems with these guys."
McGregor, who has a 21-3 UFC record, became the first fighter to hold two titles simultaneously when he beat Eddie Alvarez in his last UFC fight.
He then fought former five-weight world boxing champion Mayweather in one of the richest boxing bouts of all time.
"Conor is living proof of pound for pound, " added White, "He is willing to fight anyone in the world who thinks they are better than him - it's what makes him so popular, this is another fight to cement his legacy as one of the best ever."
Following the resolution of McGregor's legal situation, UFC officials moved quickly to secure McGregor's signature for what will be one of the biggest fights in UFC history, as the Irishman returns to action in a bid to reclaim the title he never lost in the octagon.
UFC: UFC President Dana White has announced Conor McGregor will return to the octagon in two months time.
THE UFC dropped two bombs in as many days.
On Friday (AEST) it was the return of Nate Diaz — the outspoken bad boy who’s enjoyed a famous rivalry with Conor McGregor.
Diaz hasn’t fought since a loss to the Irishman in August 2016 and will make his comeback to the Octagon in a main event showdown with Dustin Poirier at UFC 230 in November.
Bomb number two came on Saturday when UFC president Dana White revealed McGregor would also be returning to the promotion after a two-year absence to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title at UFC 229 in October.
It was the announcement fight fans were waiting for but not everyone was pleased to hear the news.
Read: Explosive McGregor bombshell announced
DIAZ FILTHY AT MCGREGOR COMEBACK
McGregor’s pulling power in the UFC is unmatched by anyone but Diaz commands plenty of attention too — attention he’ll now have to share with his archrival after Saturday’s big reveal.
Diaz’s two bouts against McGregor set records for the highest-selling MMA pay-per-views of all time. Diaz submitted McGregor in their first fight at UFC 196 in 2016 before The Notorious got his revenge five months later but talk of a trilogy is going to have to wait.
The possibility of a decider between the lightweight stars is an appetising thought but news of McGregor’s return angered Diaz, who took to social media after White announced the comeback.
“I’m not fighting on that show f*** the @ufc,” Diaz tweeted, upset he was now having to share the limelight with the promotion’s biggest cash cow so soon after his own return was announced.
That Diaz won’t fight on the same card as McGregor also means he’ll be unable to capitalise on what are certain to be enormous pay-per-view numbers.
Diaz cut a surly figure at the Las Vegas press conference where McGregor’s return was revealed even before the big announcement. He came late, was a man of few words and when the promo for McGregor vs Nurmagomedov was played, he walked out.
An angry Diaz said: “I whipped one a** and I slapped the f*** out of the other one so they’re both my little b*****s. I slapped him (Nurmagomedov) in his face. He didn’t do s***. He’s scared for his life. Him and all his Russian friends. His whole team, all p*****s.”
Nate Diaz is not especially happy pic.twitter.com/Ul87o76HAg — Danny Austin (@DannyAustin_9) August 3, 2018
He wasn’t the only one upset at being upstaged. Michael Chiesa, who was ruled out of UFC 223 after McGregor attacked a bus full of fighters in a sickening rampage in New York in April, said Diaz should be the co-main event at UFC 229.
Makes zero sense to put @NateDiaz209 vs @DustinPoirier on UFC 230. They should be fighting on UFC 229, period. — Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) August 3, 2018
Diaz’s anger sparked some lighthearted responses from Poirier and fellow fighter Rafael dos Anjos, who mocked him on Twitter.
I ain't fighting on that show either F the ufc — The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) August 3, 2018
Here’s @DustinPoirier composing his last tweet. Cracking himself up lol. It had me laughing. pic.twitter.com/xbsIPVsLRS — Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) August 3, 2018
I’m not fighting in Argentina too, F ufc 😜 — Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) August 3, 2018
EVERYONE WINS IN BATTLE OF ‘STRAIGHT KILLERS’
Dana White said it was a no-brainer to make McGregor vs Nurmagomedov a reality and called it the biggest fight in UFC history.
“It’s what makes Conor the international superstar that he is and it’s what makes Khabib a straight killer,” White told Fox Sports in America.
“You have two of these guys who are actually both straight killers coming out of the gate, going head-to-head in their prime — incredible.
“It’s a massive fight, I knew this was the fight to make and I believe this is the biggest fight in the history of the company other than the (Floyd) Mayweather (vs McGregor boxing) fight.
“This is going to be massive.”
The fight is still two months away but the hype train that’s been unleashed today won’t be slowing down any time soon — and for good reason.
MMA Junkie’s Ben Fowlkes said the match-up offers all parties what they’re craving. The UFC, fans, McGregor and Nurmagomedov are all winners.
“The UFC will get what it wants, which is a whole bunch of our money,” Fowlkes wrote. “McGregor will get what he wants, which is a chance to beat up the guy who bullied his friend (and also a whole bunch of our money).
“As for Nurmagomedov, he gets the one fight that can truly legitimatise his reign as champ (and also a whole bunch of our money).
“And fans? We get to see the return of the sport’s biggest superstar in a fight with his biggest and best rival. We get a mega event, but also a totally legitimate title fight between the two best lightweights in the world. We get the rare joy of a fight that is both spectacle and sport.”
UFC WORLD CAN’T WAIT
Diaz might have been filthy but he was in the minority as the UFC world raved about McGregor’s return, which sees the world’s top two lightweights go head-to-head.
McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh simply tweeted an emoji of a crown while renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani agreed with White about the significance of the bout.
👑 — Coach Kavanagh (@John_Kavanagh) August 3, 2018
Sneaky sneaky UFC!!!
I'm excited for this! Stylistically this is a very interesting fight and excited to see Conor back finally. https://t.co/VCRs54XRx7 — Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) August 3, 2018
Damn!!! CMac is back!!! I have no idea how this will go. Two guys, extremely skilled in opposite areas. Who will be first to impose their will on Oct 6?? 👀 #UFC25Years — Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) August 3, 2018
GAME. ON. Biggest fight in UFC history is OFFICIAL @TheNotoriousMMA vs @TeamKhabib Oct 6th — Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) August 3, 2018
UFC: UFC President Dana White has announced Conor McGregor will return to the octagon in two months time.
UFC president Dana White has confirmed Conor McGregor will make his return to the sport this year against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The Irishman hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since 2016 but will face Nurmagomedov for the lightweight strap at UFC 229 on October 6 in Las Vegas.
It was widely tipped McGregor’s return bout would be against Nurmagomedov and while neither man was present at a promotional press conference in Las Vegas on Saturday (AEST), White delivered the news fight fans have been waiting for at the very end of his address.
“They’re not here, unfortunately,” White said. “But the fight is done. October, Las Vegas. It’s on, ladies and gentlemen.”
The explosive showdown will have extra meaning to it in light of McGregor’s sickening rampage ahead of UFC 223 in April. “The Notorious” attacked a bus full of fighters in Brooklyn, throwing a metal trolley at the windows, in retaliation for Nurmagomedov and his entourage squaring off with McGregor’s training partner Artem Lobov.
McGregor recently pleaded guilty to charges stemming from that attack and must now take anger management classes and perform community service.
McGregor, who fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match last August, will attempt to win back the UFC lightweight title he was stripped of because of inactivity.
Nurmagomedov filled the power vacuum in the division when he claimed the belt for himself by defeating Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision at UFC 223 after Tony Ferguson and Max Holloway withdrew from the card.
McGregor hasn’t fought in the Octagon since UFC 205 in November 2016. His TKO win against Eddie Alvarez, secured in the second round, saw him make history by becoming the first fighter to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes, adding Alvarez’s lightweight strap to the featherweight belt he claimed after a win over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in December 2015.
Earlier this week Nurmagomedov revealed what he was planning for the Irish superstar.
“I can’t believe we’re going to fight, because I really want this guy,” he said. “Make him humble, teach him a little bit, and not only smash but change his face.
“I want to change his face. Of course, with face I can change his mind, too.”
He lost to Mayweather in the ring in his boxing debut but McGregor still came out a winner — or at least, his bank balance did. Some thought his multimillion-dollar payday would convince the 30-year-old to walk away from the fight game, especially given he has a young son, but he and White regularly talked as if a comeback was inevitable.
That comeback looked like it hit a hurdle after his New York rampage — an attack White described as “disgusting” — which some thought may have convinced the UFC to distance itself from its biggest star.
But the out-of-Octagon violence will only fuel the fire ahead of the pair’s clash in October and is a dream for the fight promotion, who will no doubt be able to milk the feud for all it’s worth to bump up hype and pay-per-view sales.
