UFC President: Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier Rematch ‘Makes Sense Right Now’

Dana White has an opponent in mind for Conor McGregor’s next Octagon appearance, but it isn’t Donald Cerrone.

In fact, it appears that the UFC boss wants to see something resembling a four-man lightweight tournament in the coming months.

“The ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone fight has never ever been discussed. That’s completely not true,” White said on FS1. “I said the fight that makes sense right now [for McGregor] is probably [Dustin] Poirier. Then Tony [Ferguson] gets a shot at the title, and the two winners fight each other.”

McGregor and Poirier were both competing in the featherweight division when they squared off at UFC 178 in September 2014. The “Notorious” would win that contest via technical knockout 1:46 into the opening stanza. Three fights later, he became the UFC’s featherweight champion.

Since then, Poirier has gone 8-1 with one no contest, establishing himself as a top contender at 155 pounds. McGregor is coming off a fourth-round submission defeat against reigning lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 on Oct. 6.

If the UFC were to book Nurmagomedov and Ferguson, it would be the fifth time the promotion has tried to make the matchup happen.

Before anything is scheduled, McGregor and Nurmagomedov must face discipline from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for their part in a post-fight brawl that occurred after the UFC 229 main event.

“But I’m not sure exactly on a date when Conor’s gonna fight yet. We have to get through this Nevada State Athletic Commission stuff,” White said.