The UFC is working on a lightweight bout between Tony Ferguson and Beneil Dariush on May 15, sources confirmed to ESPN.
Contracts have not been signed, but the bout will take place on the UFC 262 pay-per-view event once finalized. MMAJunkie first reported the pairing and date.
Ferguson (25-5) is coming off a down year in 2020, in which he lost an interim title fight to Justin Gaethje in May and a non-title fight to Charles Oliveira in December. Prior to those losses, the 37-year-old had won 12 fights in a row, and he remains the UFC’s No. 5-ranked lightweight contender.
Fighting out of Oxnard, California, Ferguson was scheduled to face Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed title in April 2020, but that fight was derailed by the coronavirus pandemic. Nurmagomedov has since announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.
Dariush (20-4-1) is coming off a split decision win against Diego Ferreira, and has won six in a row overall. Immediately after his win against Ferreira last month, Dariush spoke out about deserving a top-ranked contender, and he’ll certainly have that in Ferguson once the bout is finalized.
The UFC has not announced a main event or location for UFC 262.