UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa was supposed to fight Tony Ferguson this past July at UFC Fight Night 91. Then a back injury ruled that out.

Now recovered, Chiesa (14-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) wants the UFC to rebook the bout, and thinks there’s an opening with Ferguson’s (22-3 MMA, 12-1 UFC) recent meeting against Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) canceled for the third time.

“I’m looking at Tony, because look at the landscape of the lightweight division,” Chiesa told MMAjunkie Radio. “Conor (McGregor) could possibly be fighting Floyd (Mayweather).

“I wouldn’t blame Tony if he wanted to hold out and fight Conor. But if he fights Floyd, then he might not be back for a while. Khabib, who knows if they’re going to reschedule that, and his dad went on record and said he’s going to be out for a couple of months, indefinitely. Plus, he’s got Ramadan, so he’s not going to be back until September. So, does he want to sit around and not fight? Or do we finish what we started in July?”

It’s a logical step, the way Chiesa sees things. And he hopes Ferguson agrees, although the would-be interim title challenger dismissed the idea Monday on “The MMA Hour.”

“C’mon,” Ferguson said. “I’ll smash him. Nothing against him, but no.”

Chiesa, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, has faced rejection before while trying to get big-time fights. His request to take on former champ Eddie Alvarez in April hit a wall when Alvarez signed to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 211.

Ferguson previously told MMAjunkie he is looking for a matchup that will move him forward in the division, whether that means meeting McGregor when the champ returns from a 10-month hiatus, or again signing to fight Nurmagomedov if he receives financial assurances the bout will actually take place.

At no point did Ferguson mention Chiesa, so it appears to be an uphill battle for “Maverick.” But he’ll keep pushing for it.

“I think we have unfinished business, there’s somewhat of a story line, and I want to test myself,” Chiesa said.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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