Tony Ferguson-Beneil Dariush fight in works for UFC 262 on May 15?

UFC veteran lightweight Tony Ferguson (26-5-0) had won 12 straight matches and was set to face undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov last April until the promotion's schedule was derailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, Ferguson will now look to rally back from two consecutive defeats and show he has plenty left in the tank. 

ESPN's Brett Okamoto reported on Friday that the UFC is working toward Ferguson facing rising contender Beneil Dariush (20-4-1) at the UFC 262 pay-per-view on May 15. That show has no main event or announced location, and contracts for the Ferguson-Dariush bout haven't yet been signed. 

Ferguson, who turned 37 years old last month, lost an interim championship fight versus Justin Gaethje last May and then fell to Charles Oliveira in December. Those setbacks dropped Ferguson to No. 5 in the official UFC rankings for the division. 

Dariush, meanwhile, has won his last six matches and is ranked No. 9. The 31-year-old toppled Diego Ferreira in early February and then asked for better competition: