UFC president Dana White is looking for an insurance policy for what could be the promotion’s biggest pay-per-view of the year.
On July 10, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor will square off in a trilogy fight set to headline UFC 264, which will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and serve as the UFC’s first full-capacity event held in “Sin City” since the COVID-19 pandemic took away that option in March 2020.
With a lot riding on this card, White is in search of a backup fighter to replace Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC) or McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) should one of them be unable to step inside the octagon. But so far, nothing is doing.
“I’m actually looking for someone right now to be the backup on that card,” White told Bleacher Report. “Nobody’s jumping out. Nobody’s kicking down my door.”
With six weeks until UFC 264, the clock is ticking for somebody to step up, although settling on the right person could be difficult. Justin Gaethje, who’s No. 2 in the UFC’s 155-pound rankings, could be the best option, but he’s recently expressed unhappiness with how he’s been treated, so perhaps a backup opportunity isn’t ideal. Nos. 3 and 4, Beneil Dariush and Michael Chandler, respectively, both fought earlier this month at UFC 262, and both have said they’d like some time off – in Dariush’s case, his wife is expecting a baby.
Nobody outside of those names could be considered worthy of a headlining spot vs. either Poirier or McGregor, who will settle the score in their series tied at one apiece. McGregor TKO’d Poirier in the first round of a 2014 featherweight bout, but Poirier returned the favor this past January, finishing McGregor in the second round at UFC 257.
Dana White: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3 backup wanted, but ‘nobody’s kicking down my door’
