Manager: Conor McGregor opponent ‘agreed on’, announcement is imminent

Conor McGregor’s opponent has been confirmed and the official announcement of his comeback fight is imminent, according to the Irishman’s manager, Audie Attar.

During an episode of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Attar and Tim Simpson, agents from Paradigm Sports Management, joined the show.

A topic of discussion was McGregor’s Octagon return for January 18, 2020, in Las Vegas. Attar tried to keep his future opponent under wraps but dropped some major hints about his next fight opponent.

“We had very productive talks this weekend with the UFC,” Attar said. “I know Conor has announced a date, and in terms of discussions we have agreed on that date and we have agreed on that opponent.

“We’re not going to reveal anything tonight but a deal is imminent, I don’t see anything getting in the way barring some unforeseen circumstances,” he added. “Both parties want to get it done, it’s in the best interests of everyone involved and more importantly the fans are really excited to see him back.”

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has become the rumoured frontrunner for McGregor’s return. However, last week, Dana White dismissed rumours of contract negotiations with Cowboy.

It has also been suggested that McGregor could face Nate Diaz in a trilogy bout. However, McGregor’s manager focused his attention towards Cowboy during his time on Helwani’s show.

“I like the Cerrone matchup, I like how he’s building it himself and he’s a fan favourite, he’s a guy that comes to fight, he throws down and he deserves a fight like that,” said Attar. “From a business standpoint, let’s see how this plays out.”

“Conor is really committed to this ‘season’ where he will fight three times this year, he really wants to get back into the groove of things,” Attar concluded. “He wants to get back to what he really loves aside from the businesses that we love and we should have an announcement in the coming weeks.”

Who do you want to see Conor McGregor fight in his Octagon return? Sound off in the comments below.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/5/2019.