"He really did do something amazing" - Beneil Dariush lists Khabib Nurmagomedov as his lightweight GOAT; says Charles Oliveira needs one more win after Islam Makhachev
Beneil Dariush is of the opinion that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest UFC lightweight of all time, but Charles Oliveira isn't very far behind.
The Assyrian-American fighter recently revealed who he believes are the top lightweights of all time. According to Dariush, Nurmagomedov still holds the top spot in his personal rankings. He then named Oliveira and Tony Ferguson as interchangeable second and third-placers, adding that Rafael dos Anjos is fourth on his list.
However, Dariush added that Oliveira is on the cusp of emerging as the undisputed 155-pound GOAT of the UFC. But first, Dariush insisted that he needs to see more legacy wins from 'do Bronx.' The No.6-ranked UFC lightweight contender told Helen Yee Sports:
"I haven't really thought too much about it, because [there's] B.J. Penn too, but you know... That's a lot to think about. But [Charles Oliveira], in my opinion, he's like on the verge of being the greatest lightweight of all time. But I think, [he needs] a little bit more. I think he needs more than just this. I think maybe one more after this and then we can talk about GOAT status."
For now, Dariush believes that distinction still belongs to Dagestan's former undefeated champion. With that in mind, Dariush furthered:
"He [Nurmagomedov] really did do something amazing. He came in and he beat everybody. I wish he fought more grapplers, but I mean, you can't deny his success. So yeah, he did amazing."
Catch Beneil Dariush's interview below:
Beneil Dariush thinks Charles Oliveira should be P4P king if he beats Islam Makhachev
Charles Oliveira will get a chance to reclaim the UFC lightweight title when he takes on Islam Makhachev in the main event of this month's UFC 280 pay-per-view.
The way Beneil Dariush sees it, though, there's more than just the title on the line for Oliveira. According to Dariush, if 'do Bronx' is able to beat Makhachev, he should ascend to the the top spot in the promotion's pound-for-pound rankings:
"If Islam wins, it's hard because it'll be... This is the first ranked guy he's fought. But, on the other hand, Charles Oliveira has fought so many ranked guys and beat so many ranked guys so I think if Islam wins he's definitely top 5 or even top 3 in the pound-for-pound [rankings]. But I think if Charles wins, he's number one."
See the post below:
#UFC280 line-up. Card of the year?! https://t.co/YISCuFM16Y
Beneil Dariush will be in action on the same October 22 card. He will take on up-and-coming contender Mateusz Gamrot in a potential title eliminator bout.