"Beneil Dariush is hurt right now" - Daniel Cormier makes case to fast forward Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira for vacant lightweight title
Daniel Cormier believes Islam Makhachev doesn't need to fight Beneil Dariush before making a title bid against Charles Oliveira. While Dariush is currently rehabbing from a broken fibula, 'DC' believes an Oliveira vs. Makhachev title fight is the logical step moving forward.
According to 'DC', Makhachev and Oliveira are the two best lightweights in the world considering their dominant win-streaks. The former UFC double champ recently said on The DC&RC Show:
"Everybody that he has fought, he has dominated. And if we look at Charles Oliveira today, whoever Charles Oliveira is fighting, he is dominating. So we want to see the best lightweights in the world fight each other. And I understand that he had one more step to cross in terms of Dariush; Beneil Dariush is hurt right now. So I think it's fast forward Islam Makahchev to the championship and make him versus Charles Oliveira. Eleven wins in a row [Oliveira]- Ten wins in a row [Makhachev]."
However, Charles Oliveira has mentioned taking on Makhachev only if he manages to beat another top contender after getting past Dariush. Considering the current circumstances, it will be interesting to see if the Brazilian will be willing to take on the highly touted Dagestani phenom, Islam Makhachev.
Watch Cormier make a case for Makhachev vs. Oliveira below:
Beneil Dariush is targeting a return sometime during summer
Beneil Dariush was scheduled to headline a UFC Fight Night against Islam Makahchev in February. However, Dariush was forced to pull out after suffering a broken fibula during a training session.
'Benny' was replaced by un-ranked fan favorite Bobby Green, who went on to suffer a first-round TKO loss against Makhachev.
After consultation with the doctors, Dariush opted to skip surgery and let the bone heal naturally. 'Benny' should be back in training by now since the doctors had estimated a six to eight week recovery.
Eager to fight Makhachev, Dariush is even ready to compromise on the duration of his camp. Eyeing a return to the octagon in June or July, the 33-year-old told ESPN's Brett Okamoto:
"I really want to see this fight, too. Thank God, we're going to reschedule. I feel bad for Islam. I'm sure he's not happy about the situation, but it's the ideal situation for me to get this fight rebooked. I'd like to have another 10 weeks for this camp, but if it's shorter, it's shorter. June, July, those are dates."
Watch Dariush's interview with Brett Okamoto below: