Donald Cerrone has fired a warning to Conor McGregor after their UFC 246 clash in early 2020 was confirmed.
Irish superstar McGregor will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon in Las Vegas on January 18.
It will be the biggest fight of Cerrone's career as he takes on the former two-division world champion.
And the 36-year-old has now broken his silence on the bout, with a short but clear message sent via text to manager Josh Jones and made public by ESPN's Ariel Helwani.
“Finally, I get my hands on him,” Cerrone wrote as he gets set for a bout which has been four years in the making.
News of the huge fight - McGregor's first appearance since being choked out by Khabib Nurmagomedov last October - was broken by UFC chief Dana White on Thursday.
White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto: "Conor has signed and 'Cowboy' is ready to go.”
McGregor has yet to speak out over the fight, but he has previously spoken about his desire for a rematch with Nurmagomedov in the future after his clash with Cerrone.
Speaking as he announced his comeback in Russia last month, McGregor said of Khabib: "It will happen. I am not waiting around for that man, he is a known pull-out.
"You can run but you cannot hide. He ran out of the press conference in Moscow last week. It is in his nature. Trust me I am coming for him.
"Where is he now in this country? I fly in, he flies out. Typical.
"I am going to go through the entire roster like a chainsaw through butter."
McGregor insists there is no 'outside influence' to his comeback, and that he will be in camp for 12 weeks prior to the January bout.
"Fight is 12 weeks this Saturday," he added in the October 24 press conference. "I go into camp from this tour and you will not see me until I go to fight.
"My family motivates and inspires me. I want to show them what hard work can do."
