Dustin Poirier teases October return amid rumors of Tony Ferguson fight

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier has reacted to the recent buzz surrounding a potential fight with Tony Ferguson.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 15 card at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, UFC President Dana White divulged that Poirier will “probably” meet Tony Ferguson when he next steps into the Octagon.

Dana White says that Dustin Poirier is “probably” Tony Ferguson’s next opponent pic.twitter.com/f3mMSFhnC5

— Blue Corner Fighting (@blue_fighting) August 23, 2020

Damon Martin of MMA Fighting subsequently confirmed that negotiations are underway for this matchup, and added that the fight could happen in October.

Dana White says Tony Ferguson’s next fight will “probably” be Dustin Poirier.

I can add that talks have been initiated but last I heard, a deal isn’t done just yet. Sounds like October. #UFCVegas7

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) August 23, 2020

“Dana White says Tony Ferguson’s next fight will ‘probably’ be Dustin Poirier. I can add that talks have been initiated but last I heard, a deal isn’t done just yet. Sounds like October.”

Speaking on Twitter on Monday, Poirier seemed to confirm that he’s gearing up for an October fight. We can only assume Ferguson, as White suggested, is the man he’ll be fighting.

2 months away??#PaidInFull #ElDiamante pic.twitter.com/0rB5DBYHMq

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) August 24, 2020

“Two months away,” Poirier wrote.

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.

Since his loss to Nurmagomedov, Poirier has made no secret of the fact that he hopes to earn a rematch with the champion in the near future. If he’s able to do so, he’s confident he can come out on top.

“He’s just another human being,” Poirier said of the undefeated Nurmagomedov in a recent interview with Bleacher Report. “A lot of times, in your head, you build these guys up, then you get in there and you realize they’re just another fighter, just like the last 40 you fought.”