At UFC 284, the top-ranked lightweight contender Beneil Dariush watched the clash of champions between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski.
The featherweight king Australia’s Volkanovski went up in weight to challenge for the lightweight throne against the Dagestani athlete Makhachev. With a size disadvantage, Volkanovski was able to continuously scramble so that Makhachev was struggling to impose his grappling game.
Grappling specialist Beneil Dariush was looking for just that.
Beneil Dariush saw what he needed in Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Beneil Dariush explained:
“I thought they were both great. Unstoppable force meets an immovable object, it felt like that…a lot of things with Islam, Volkanovski just confirmed my beliefs. I didn’t really have any tapes on him…but Volkanovski confirmed to me where his game is lacking and things I can take advantage of.” [Transcript courtesy of MMA News]
Beneil Dariush sees himself as the top contender in the competitive lightweight division and believes he is next in line to challenge for the crown held by Islam Makhachev. The 33-year-old athlete is currently on an eight-fight win streak with notable wins over fighters such as Mateusz Gamrot, Tony Ferguson, Carlos Diego Ferreira, and Scott Holtzman, among others.
Additionally, he is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Rafael Cordeiro and has competed in World Jiu Jitsu Championships. Plus, in the UFC, Dariush is putting together a reputation for being one of the more exciting fighters in this stacked division. He has earned four performance of the night bonuses plus one fight of the night honor.
See the full interview below: