Dana White: Dustin Poirier off the table, Tony Ferguson will be booked for “another fight”

UFC President Dana White says that his promotion has given up on a widely rumored lightweight fight between former interim champs Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson.

Poirier and Ferguson were linked to a fight at UFC 254 on October 24 for many weeks. Regrettably, this dynamite lightweight matchup hit a snag this week, when news surfaced that Poirier and the UFC could not come to an agreement on terms for the bout.

“UFC and I didn’t come to terms,” Poirier told ESPN this week. “I will not be fighting on Oct. 24.”

While Poirier subsequently revealed that he’s not opposed to fighting Ferguson at a later date, White claims the matchup is now off the table, and the promotion is looking at new options for both men.

“No, we’re not even trying to salvage it,” White said at the UFC Vegas 10 post-fight press conference (via MMA Fighting). We’re getting another fight. Yep [another fight for Tony Ferguson], it’ll happen.”

Tony Ferguson has not fought since UFC 249 in May, when he lost to Justin Gaethje via fifth-round TKO. The loss marked the end of a fantastic, 12-fight unbeaten streak for the Californian. With Poirier ostensibly off the table, it’s not clear who Ferguson will fight next, though Dan Hooker and Charles Oliveira both seem like strong possibilities.

The next move for Dustin Poirier, on the other hand, is also a mystery. With a Ferguson fight no longer in the pipeline, he’ll also have to look elsewhere in the search for his next opponent. That being said, it seems that he and the UFC are currently at odds in terms of his payment for his next fight.

Who do you want to see Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier fight next now that we know they won’t be matched up against one another? Let us know in the comments section.