Dana White provides fresh update on Conor McGregor vs Donald Cerrone after UFC 244

UFC president Dana White insists a fight between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone isn’t close.

Late last month, McGregor announced he’ll return to the Octagon on January 18 at UFC 246 in Las Vegas.

It then emerged that fellow fan favourite Donald Cerrone is the front-runner to welcome the Irishman back to the cage.

However, according to White, the promotion haven’t offered ‘Cowboy’ the fight.

“There’s nothing done,” White told Express Sport during the UFC 244 post-fight press conference. “Literally zero.

“Conor came out and said that. People then said, ‘Is this true?’ And I said, ‘He wants to fight that date.’ But we literally haven’t done [anything].

“Nobody has called Cerrone. Cerrone actually text me yesterday and said, ‘I hope all this talk is true.’ So there is literally nothing done. Zero.”

White’s firm denial of a deal for McGregor to face Cerrone being in place came a few days after the former featherweight and lightweight champion’s head coach John Kavanagh hinted his most famous student’s comeback fight could soon be announced.

Last Wednesday, he told ESPN: “As far as I’m aware, all parties have agreed more or less in principle. There’s maybe a little bit of kinks to be ironed out. Hopefully, an announcement is imminent.”

After over a year on the sidelines, McGregor is back in full training, much to the delight of Kavanagh.

“I’m just happy to see him back competing,” said the SBG Ireland head coach.

“He’s in a great mindset. We’re training away, we’re chipping away. It’s 11 weeks (away) now. Weigh-ins will be 11 weeks (away) (tomorrow). He’s ticking away.

“I can’t wait for the announcement so that we can just be full steam ahead. I’m sure it’s going to be soon.”

McGregor wants to fight three times in 2020 and his renewed sense of motivation has thrilled his mentor, who said: “He’s very pumped up. I like how he’s talking about it being a season.

“He has three fights in mind that he wants to do.

“The first one on January 18 and then April and then September. I haven’t heard that type of structured talk from him in a long time. But let’s do action, not words.”

source: express.co.uk