Dana White Says UFC 223 Winner Will Get Conor McGregor's Title Belt

UFC president Dana White confirmed on Friday that the winner of the UFC 223 fight between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov will become the new lightweight champion.

White told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times that Conor McGregor will officially be stripped of the belt once that April 7 battle at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, gets underway.

"That's exactly right: As soon as one punch is thrown, it's on for the full title and it's only fair," he said. "They've both worked their way up to No. 1 and No. 2. They deserve a shot."

McGregor captured the UFC Lightweight Championship with a knockout victory over Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016. He hasn't entered the Octagon since that bout, however.

The 29-year-old Irishman's latest fight was a boxing match against undefeated, five-division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. in August 2017. He lost by 10th-round TKO.

In December, The Notorious told TMZ Sports he was expecting to make a UFC return for his next bout.

"I think a true fight is what I want to do next," he said. "MMA next."

White, who called the decision to strip McGregor of the title "good news for the fans," explained the background details and what he hopes happens next to Pugmire.

"Conor does want the belt, he does want to be the champion, but he doesn't want to defend it," White said. "I'd love to see him fight the winner of Ferguson-Khabib next."

Ferguson, the interim champion, will enter next month's clash on a 10-fight winning streak. Nurmagomedov is a perfect 25-0 in his MMA career, including nine straight wins since joining the UFC.

Three prior scheduled bouts between the pair were cancelled due to injury or illness.