UFC's Dana White: Conor McGregor vs. Cowboy Cerrone Not 'Even Close' Amid Rumors

Conor McGregor's return is rumored to be against Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at UFC 246 on Jan. 18 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but UFC President Dana White told TMZ Sports that "nothing is even close to being done."

"We have nothing done, nothing is even close to being done. So, I hate to even talk about this stuff and say it because it might not happen...it might happen. But, we're looking at Cowboy."

For his part, Cerrone is itching to fight McGregor, per TMZ Sports, telling the ex-UFC champion to "sign the damn deal":

McGregor has a 21-4 professional MMA record, with his last fight occurring against Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight title. He lost that Oct. 6, 2018, fight and was eventually suspended for six months for his part in a post-match brawl.

The 31-year-old is ranked third in UFC's lightweight rankings and once held the promotion's featherweight and lightweight belts.

Cerrone, ranked fifth on the lightweight list, has a 36-13 record (one no-contest). He's lost his last two fights to No. 1 contender Tony Ferguson and No. 4 lightweight Justin Gaethje. Prior to his two-match losing streak, Cerrone had won three straight.

The 36-year-old is a six-time UFC Fight of the Night winner.

Per Oddschecker, a few sportsbooks are already offering odds on the fight despite it not being official. McGregor is the early -200 favorite ($200 bet to win $100) at most books.