Beneil Dariush confirms BMF champ will not leapfrog him for lightweight title fight after assurance from UFC brass
Beneil Dariush has been assured by the UFC brass that the winner of his UFC 289 bout against Charles Oliveira will be the No.1 contender for Islam Makhachev's lightweight title.
Dariush and Oliveira are set to go head-to-head in the co-main event slot this weekend at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. Their bout sees Dariush pursue a ninth straight win as he seeks his first title opportunity.
For 'Do Bronx', the Brazilian is fighting for the chance to avenge his loss to Makhachev last year.
Despite their upcoming fight being labeled as a No.1 contender clash, some fans were concerned for Beneil Dariush or Charles Oliveira when the UFC announced Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje would be running it back at UFC 291.
Speaking to Submission Radio, Dariush calmed those worries by stating that he had been given a guarantee by the organization:
"Fortunately the UFC did give me their word. This is not usual for them. I thought they'd do the same after the Tony Ferguson fight or Gamrot fight, but they didn't...They didn't give me that spiel, they said, 'Yeah [the winner], you're the No.1 contender.'"
Catch the interview here (6:30):
Beneil Dariush gives his prediction for the UFC 291 BMF title bout between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier
Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier are set to run it back at the end of next month at UFC 291. The pair will meet inside the octagon in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the BMF title on the line.
Gaethje and Poirier first fought back in 2018 in an epic clash that saw 'The Diamond' take the victory via fourth-round TKO. The bout also won multiple Fight of the Year awards from a host of media outlets.
Weighing in on the rematch was Beneil Dariush, who spoke with Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith. The Iranian-born fighter, is giving the nod to 'The Highlight' for the rematch because of how much he's improved and his desire to win:
"That Justin [who fought Rafael Fiziev] is going to be a problem for anybody. Especially with the fact that a jab from him hurts. Bro, the guy can throw a jab and he can hurt you, you know? The last round with Fiziev, he threw a bunch of jabs and he busted up Fiziev. That's incredible...I think Justin can do this, I think he's hungrier. I think he's gotten better in terms of defense and footwork."
Catch Beneil Dariush's comments here (1:06:00):