Beneil Dariush reveals why potential fights with Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler never came to fruition: "I'm not gonna really chase that fight"
Beneil Dariush isn't holding out for any potential matchups against either Dustin Poirier or Michael Chandler.
Before UFC 280, it's no secret that Dariush tried to get himself booked against the two former lightweight title challengers. However, the Assyrian-American fighter revealed that the matchmakers aren't too keen on him facing either man. During a recent interview with Luke Thomas of Morning Kombat, Dariush said:
"I've tried fighting Chandler and Poirier and I haven't really gotten much of a response back, so I'm not gonna really chase that fight. As far as the top five goes, I'm trying to think who's available."
Check out Beneil Dariush's interview below:
Dariush added that he won't fight Justin Gaethje and Rafael dos Anjos – two fighters he considers his close friends. With that in mind, Dariush has narrowed his options down to a couple of names in the UFC lightweight rankings – Rafael Fiziev and Arman Tsarukyan.
Between the two, Dariush is seemingly leaning towards a showdown with Fiziev.
"That leaves me with Fiziev. That'd be a fun fight. I would really enjoy that fight because, as far as the striking goes, you know he's gonna put pressure on me. And he's one of the few people who can put pressure on me."
Beneil Dariush reacts to losing title shot to Alexander Volkanovski
Beneil Dariush, on paper, is the logical next choice as Islam Makhachev's first title challenger. With an impressive victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, Dariush has extended his streak to eight consecutive wins.
However, his resume was overshadowed by a potential superfight between Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski. Both champions have expressed mutual interest in fighting each other in the upcoming UFC 284 card in Perth.
With that in mind, Dariush can't help but feel frustrated. During his UFC 280 media day, the 33-year-old said:
"It still sucks. Being backup, losing that positions sucks. Losing the title shot sucks. It’s all as crappy as it gets but I understand why they’re doing what they’re doing."
Check out Beneil Dariush's comments below:
However, Dariush claims that he fully understands why the UFC keeps shunning him in favor of bigger names. That said, he has vowed to earn the title shot the old-fashioned way – by winning until no one else is left.