Dustin Poirier has provided an update on his rumored scrap with fellow top-5 UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson.
While most fight fans are dying to see this matchup, Poirier says he hasn’t received an offer yet. However, he added that he’s ready to accept the fight when the offer comes, and he believes the UFC is keen to make it happen at UFC 254 in October, which will be headlined by a lightweight title fight between undisputed champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ Justin Gaethje.
“I don’t have a contract yet,” Poirier said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast (via MMA Fighting). “I saw Dana talking about it. I know that they want it. I know they want it on the same card as Khabib and Gaethje. I’m just waiting. I’m just waiting to talk to them.”
Despite not receiving an offer to fight Ferguson at UFC 254 in October, Poirier says he’s already commenced his training camp for the fight in anticipation of that offer.
“When the rumbling started, when they started talking about it, I booked the flight. I’m in Florida right now,” Poirier said. “I just got done with wrestling practice a couple of hours ago. I came to Coconut Creek. We’re eight weeks out this week, so better safe than sorry. Dana knows my number. If we get this fight made, I’m already here, training. If not, I fly back to Louisiana and we’ll see what happens.”
If Poirier does fight Ferguson at UFC 254, he expects the fight to serve as the card’s co-main event, which will give the evening the feeling of a four-man lightweight tournament.
“For sure,” Poirier said about fighting Ferguson in the UFC 254 co-main event. “If they do it on the same night, it’s like a lightweight tournament. First bracket.”
Dustin Poirier last fought in June, when he defeated New Zealand’s Dan Hooker by decision in one of the best fights of the year thus far. The victory over Hooker separated Poirier from a submission loss to reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov last September.
