Conor McGregor will return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on Oct 6 against undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, UFC President Dana White announced on Friday.

White said the fight will headline UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the ESPN reported.

McGregor last fought in the UFC in November 2016.

He made his professional boxing debut against undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. last August, losing via a technical knockout in the 10th round.

The Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) star was stripped of the Lightweight Champion title in April due to inactivity. Instead, Nurmagomedov won the title in April, after defeating Al Iaquinta at UFC 223.

"This is a very important fight for both fighters.” White said, adding “For Khabib, who is undefeated and who is looked at as one of the best fighters in the world, beating Conor is massive for him.”

McGregor is still considered one of the top champions in the sport, after becoming the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously — featherweight and lightweight — in 2016.