Dana White Confirms CM Punk's Opponent, Responds to Conor McGregor

Dana White has confirmed UFC is trying to seal the deal for CM Punk's next opponent ... and it's Mike "The Truth" Jackson.

Rumors have been swirling for weeks, but White has finally confirmed to TMZ Sports that Jackson -- who also lost to Mickey Gall in his UFC debut -- is the intended target for Punk at UFC 225 in Chicago.

There's more ... Dana also talked about Brock Lesnar's impending return to the Octagon -- telling us Brock's opponent could hinge on who wins the Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier fight.

But, he also flashed a smirk when we mentioned the possibility of a Lesnar vs. Francis Ngannou scrap.

As for Conor McGregor ... we asked how he felt about the Irish superstar referring to him as a "c*nt" -- and shockingly, he wasn't too upset about it ...