Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone says Conor McGregor has NOT signed the official UFC contract to fight on Jan. 18th ... and now he's putting the pressure on Conor to get the deal done.
Of course, 31-year-old Conor announced his UFC comeback last week during a media event in Russia ... saying he'll fight on Jan. 18th but wouldn't reveal his opponent.
36-year-old Cowboy tells us both his team and Conor's team have been in contact with the UFC, but they're still trying to "figure it out."
"I think it's gonna happen this time," Cowboy tells TMZ Sports .