Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush targeted for UFC 262
Tony Ferguson’s first octagon appearance of 2021 is on the horizon.
The former UFC interim lightweight champion is expected to return to the octagon May 15 at UFC 262 against rising contender Beneil Dariush. Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie that the matchup has been agreed upon, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an announcement. Contracts have yet to be finalized.
Ferguson (25-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) looks to bounce back from the worst run of his career. For the first time, Ferguson is on a losing skid after experiencing back-to-back losses in his two most recent fights.
The 37-year-old Ferguson was outpointed by Charles Oliveira in a lopsided unanimous decision this past December at UFC 256. Prior to that defeat, Ferguson was stopped by Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 to put an end to a 12-fight winning streak.
Dariush (20-4-1 MMA, 14-4-1 UFC) is getting a fight he wanted. Dariush is unbeaten in his past six bouts, including four “Performance of the Night” bonuses. Dariush fought in February and took a split decision against Diego Ferreira.
With the addition, the UFC 262 lineup includes:
- Beneil Dariush vs. Tony Ferguson
- Jamie Pickett vs. Jordan Wright
- Priscila Cachoeira vs. Gina Mazany
- Viviane Araujo vs. Katlyn Chookagian
- Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell
- Andrea Lee vs. Antonina Shevchenko
- Edson Barboza vs. Shane Burgos
