Conor McGregor‘s long-awaited return to the Octagon is a done deal.
McGregor has signed his bout agreement to fight Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 257 on Jan. 23, McGregor told ESPN on Thursday.
Poirier signed his bout agreement last week, ESPN previously reported.
The fight will be contested at 155 pounds, sources said. The location has yet to be finalized, though UFC president Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto last week that it would take place on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi “if everything goes according to plans.”
The booking means McGregor will return to action a little over a year after his last fight: a 40-second TKO win over Donald Cerrone on Jan. 18, 2020. That was supposed to be one of several fights for McGregor in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic and issues with UFC halted those plans. McGregor was so frustrated earlier this year that he briefly announced his retirement on social media.
He will finally return to action against an opponent he defeated at UFC 178 in 2014 via first-round TKO, Poirier.
Poirier is coming off a unanimous decision win over Dan Hooker in June.
