It seems like the excitement for a potential Dustin Poirier vs Tony Ferguson fight was short lived. The Diamond has apparently struggled to come to terms with the UFC, and will not be taking the fight.
When it was first announced that Poirier was expecting to fight Ferguson at UFC 254, the fanbase was collectively fired up. A win for either man would keep them in the talks for a lightweight title shot, with Tony looking to rebound from his first loss in eight years and Dustin looking to win his second in a row since losing his title unification bout at UFC 242. Not to mention that in terms of styles alone, this fight had all the makings for a Fight of the Year type of affair, as both men like to pressure and throw volume strikes.
Dustin Poirier And The UFC Could Not Agree To Terms
Unfortunately it seems that the highly anticipated Dustin Poirier vs Tony Ferguson will not be happening after all. According to reports from Ariel Helwani, Dustin and the UFC could not come to an agreement on the purse for this fight. Therefore he has headed back home, no longer expecting to fight at UFC 254.
“This just in:
Next month’s highly-anticipated Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson fight isn’t in the works anymore, according to Poirier.
‘UFC and I didn’t come to terms,’ Poirier told ESPN. ‘I will not be fighting on Oct. 24.’
Poirier will return home to Lafayette next week.”
This just in:
Next month's highly-anticipated Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson fight isn't in the works anymore, according to Poirier.
"UFC and I didn't come to terms," Poirier told ESPN. "I will not be fighting on Oct. 24."
Poirier will return home to Lafayette next week.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 10, 2020
This sentiment from Dustin Poirier lines up with some concerns he had been voicing earlier this week, regarding how much the UFC wanted to pay him. There seems to be a never ending frustration in the sport, with athletes not getting paid enough by the UFC, and walking away from fight negotiations. While there is still a chance for both parties to work something out, the UFC tends to be stubborn on these matters unless they have no choice.
