John Kavanagh says his pupil Conor McGregor will have a fight announcement very soon.

McGregor recently said he will return on Jan. 18 but wouldn’t reveal an opponent. Rumors started to swirl that it was Donald Cerrone, yet Kavanagh wouldn’t confirm. Rather, he says the fight is agreed to.

“Like Dana said nothing is 100 percent until all contracts are signed. I do, as far as I am aware all parties have agreed more or less in principle,” Kavanagh said to ESPN. “There may be a few kinks to be ironed out. But, as far as I am aware, hopefully, an announcement is imminent.”

Kavanagh is happy to see Conor McGregor training hard again and having a goal in mind. If he does fight on Jan. 18, it is 11 weeks out, and the preparation for the bout is underway.

He also hopes the UFC makes the fight announcement at UFC 244.

“I’m just happy to see him back competing and is in a great mindset. We are training away, chipping away. It is 11 weeks tomorrow and ticking all the boxes,” he said of McGregor. “I can’t wait for the announcement so we can be full steam ahead. But, I am sure it is, I actually had in my head maybe during this event they are going to do an ad or something, I don’t know, maybe that is coming.”

Regardless of when the fight gets announced all signs point to that being the date. Kavanagh says he and McGregor are back on the same page and are both motivated to get back to the top. The coach says he hasn’t seen this much motivation from the Irishman in quite a long time, and now it is time for him to act on those words.

“I hope so, I hope so. Actions not words so let’s just do it in 2020. I feel I’ve been talking about it for two years or something. He is very pumped up, I like how is talking about it being a season and has three fights in mind,” Kavanagh said. “First on Jan. 18, then April, then September. I haven’t heard that type of very structured talk for him in a long time. But, let’s do actions not words.”

What do you make of John Kavanagh’s comments regarding Conor McGregor?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/31/2019.