- UFC president admits Tony Ferguson 'is the fight that needs to happen'
- But he's open to Georges St-Pierre getting the next shot - 'Tony's had opportunities before he didn't take'
UFC president Dana White has admitted Khabib Nurmagomedov could face Georges St-Pierre next " if the Tony Ferguson fight falls through.
The consensus is that Ferguson deserves the next crack at the lightweight champion, with both men riding 12-fight win streaks in the UFC.
Khabib has said "El Cucuy" deserves a title shot, with the American demanding the fight in December at UFC 145 in Las Vegas.
"Tony Ferguson is the fight that needs to happen," White told TMZ Sports. "We've tried to do it four other times, so hopefully we can get it done this time. But that's the fight that makes sense."
Khabib's manager Ali Abdelaziz stirred the pot last week, however, claiming that retired former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion St-Pierre will be next for the Russian.
"That can happen, too," White said. "We'll see what happens with Tony. Tony's had opportunities before that he didn't take, so if he doesn't, then I would be interested in talking about GSP."
Jorge Masvidal's Ben Askren KO leaves ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter speechless
For what it's worth, GSP said that Ferguson "100 per cent" deserves to fight Khabib ahead of him, but he suggested he would be ready to fight if the right offer was made.
"If anything comes up, the UFC knows where to find me," he told Helen Yee.
Copyright (c) 2019. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.