Dana White: Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov won't be booked ever again

The fifth time will not be a charm for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

After a freak accident left Ferguson (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC) injured and unable to compete at UFC 223, UFC President Dana White said he’s done trying to make the fight.

“Hell no,” White told ESPN.com when asked whether a fifth potential booking would materialize.

Nurmagomedov (25-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is now set to face UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway (19-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) for the undisputed lightweight title, which will be stripped from current champ Conor McGregor. Ferguson has been stripped of the interim title he won this past October by beating Kevin Lee at UFC 216.

The UFC 216 interim title matchup came about after a botched weight cut forced Nurmagomedov to withdraw from a co-headliner against Ferguson at UFC 209 in March 2017, marking the third time the top-tier lightweights were unable to fight.

After the two bickered nonstop on a conference call promoting Saturday’s ill-fated pay-per-view headliner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., Nurmagomedov had some pointed advice for Ferguson on talking trash.

In a social media post, Ferguson said he was “hurt, frustrated, angry and in disbelief” following the accident and apologized to Nurmagomedov, his team, fans, and the UFC.

Ferguson and Nurmagomedov were first paired for The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale in December 2015. Nurmagomedov suffered a rib injury and was forced to withdraw. Five months later, the two were scheduled to meet at UFC on FOX 18, but Ferguson fell ill and was forced to withdraw after doctors found fluid in his lungs.

Ferguson is the No. 2 ranked fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, while Nurmagomedov stands at No. 3.

For more on UFC 223, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.