Both men had been linked with a red panty night against Conor McGregor but now it seems that Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone will instead meet each other in the Octagon next.
ESPN was first to report that a deal is close to being agreed for Ferguson to return to action against the most active fighter of all time, Cerrone.
Cerrone only just added to his own record of UFC wins with his unanimous decision victory over Al Iaquinta last weekend and he wasted no time in looking for another bout this summer.
Ferguson vs. ‘Cowboy’ is expected to take place at UFC 238 on June 8 in Chicago, meaning that the men will have just a month to prepare for the fight which could well earn the winner a lightweight title shot.
Perennial contender Ferguson took some time away from competition earlier this year in order to address some personal issues but his recent meeting with UFC President Dana White was clearly successful.
“Building Bridges” Champ Shit Only -XTA- Hometeam 👣 🇺🇸🏆🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/gCADHel37b
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) May 7, 2019
While unconfirmed, the next lightweight title fight is expected to take place in September in a unification clash between undefeated 155lbs king Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim champ, Dustin Poirier.
It’s entirely likely that the winners of Ferguson vs. Cerrone and Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier will meet in 2020.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen what the future holds for Conor McGregor, who is apparently back in training and eyeing a comeback before the year is out.
Having missed out on a rematch with Nurmagomedov and failing to agree terms on a fan-friendly bout against Cerrone, McGregor has fewer options available to him for his return.
It could well pave the way for the never-boring Justin Gaethje to get his wish for the McGregor fight as they are the only other lightweights in the top five of the rankings who are without a scheduled bout.
