Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier were expected to take on each other in a possible #1 contender’s fight for the UFC Lightweight Championship. However, it was recently announced (via ESPN) that Dustin Poirier vs Tony Ferguson won’t be taking place at UFC 254 after former interim Champion Dustin Poirier failed to come to terms with UFC. Earlier, Khabib Numragomedov had revealed that he would take on any fighter who can beat Dustin Poirier inside the octagon. The former Interim Champion picked up an impressive decision win over Dan Hooker in his next fight after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. As for Tony Ferguson, he is coming off a brutal 5th round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje, who is set to take on Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254.
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While Dustin Poirier vs Tony Ferguson was an exciting match-up, with two of the most entertaining and fiercest strikers in the history of MMA. Both Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier have only lost once in their past five fights inside the octagon with combined notables wins over some of the most prominent names in the Lightweight division in the form of Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Rafael dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone, Edson Barboza, and Dan Hooker. While the initial reports suggest that failed negotiations between Dustin Poirier and the UFC is the reason for the cancellation of the much-anticipated bout, there are several angles that should be looked at before we jump into fighter fees.
What if Dustin Poirier loses against Tony Ferguson?
Dustin Poirier had to do away with a much less anticipated fight against Dan Hooker despite declining the offer several times after UFC 242. While Dustin Poirier did go on to put up one of the best performances of the year, and main event UFC Fight Night, Dustin Poirier called out Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson on several occasions before accepting the fight against Dan Hooker.
Additionally, in a scenario where Dustin Poirier loses to Tony Ferguson, what happens to the former title contender? There’s a reason to believe that UFC hasn’t given Poirier a viable option in case he loses to Ferguson. It could either be a money fight with Conor McGregor or the loser of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje. However, with Khabib’s retirement plan looming around the corner and the likely addition of Michael Chandler in the mix makes it an interesting situation for UFC where anything looks possible.
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So in all possibilities, it must have been difficult for UFC to determine what happens to Dustin Poirier if he loses to Tony Ferguson come UFC 254. It’s fair to say that Dustin Poirier’s decision to opt-out of the potential match-up after failing to come to proper compensation and failing to come to terms with the UFC is completely justified.
What if Dustin Poirier beats Tony Ferguson?
In all likelihood, there’s every reason to believe that Dustin Poirier has what it takes to beat Tony Ferguson. In a scenario where Poirier is able to get past Ferguson, does he get a title fight? Khabib Nurmagomedov has already announced that he will retire with one more fight following his title defense against Justin Gaethje. In such a situation, the likelihood of Dustin Poirier vs Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch does not make sense considering Khabib totally dominated Poirier and picked up a third-round submission to defend the lightweight gold.
Additionally, Dustin Poirier could be looking at facing Conor McGregor. If Poirier can get past Tony Ferguson, he will be a huge name in the UFC and a potential super-fight against Dustin Poirier sounds exciting. However, has the UFC promised Dustin Poirier the prizefight after Tony Ferguson? because if this is where Poirier failed to come to an agreement with the UFC, it is quite understandable from Poirier’s part.
What’s next for Dustin Poirier?
Dustin Poirier is a prizefighter, and has delivered some of the most entertaining fights in the history of UFC. Poirier’s performances against Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, and recently against Dan Hooker are most likely to go down as some of the most entertaining fights of this decade. In light of the recent increase in negotiations disputes between UFC and the fighters, as a fight fan myself, I am bound to take Poirier’s side on this. Poirier could wait around and look for the next best possibility where he can get his prize and compete once again inside the octagon.
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