"He let me beat him up for 2 rounds" - When Beneil Dariush recalled how Justin Gaethje helped him out of a winless skid
Justin Gaethje isn't just a great fighter but also an amazing friend. After beating Tony Ferguson at UFC 262, Beneil Dariush revealed how Justin Gaethje helped him regain his confidence by letting the Assyrian-American beat him up for two rounds in sparring.
Dariush went through a rough phase in his career after suffering defeats at the hands of Edson Barboza and Alex Hernandez. In between these two losses, he reached a stalemate against Evan Dunham. At the UFC 262 post-fight press conference, Dariush explained how Gaethje helped boost his confidence.
“When I was on my slump, when I was struggling. I was going to fight Thiago Moises. I hadn’t won in two years. He (Gaethje) lets us into his gym to train…He jumps in and he let me beat him up. He literally just let me beat him up for a whole ten minutes. He didn’t need to do that. I know he is better than that…So, just to help me build my confidence, he did that for me,” said Beneil Dariush.
Since then, Beneil Dariush and Justin Gaethje have been great friends.
As things turned out, Dariush really needed that boost in confidence. He has since amassed a seven-fight win streak and is currently ranked No.3 in the lightweight rankings. Dariush wants to fight a top-five ranked opponent in his next bout.
Beneil Dariush claims Justin Gaethje lacks confidence in his own abilities
Justin Gaethje has his work cut out as he faces former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 268. The winner of this fight could be next in line for a title shot after Dustin Poirier fights Charles Oliveira later this year.
Chandler doesn't think Justin Gaethje is confident in his abilities as a fighter and the only strategy he relies on is to brawl with his opponents. In a recent episode of Joe Rogan Experience, Chandler stated the following about his upcoming opponent:
"When I look at [Justin Gaethje], it's not a knock on him or anything, I just don't think he has the confidence in his abilities. There's a fine line between having confidence in your abilities – confidence in your striking techniques – and your ability to win any other way than a brawl."