Michael Chiesa hopes Beneil Dariush gets to fight for the lightweight title soon
Michael Chiesa is backing his former opponent Beneil Dariush as the next UFC lightweight title challenger.
Dariush solidified his case as a top 155-pound contender with an impressive victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280. With eight consecutive wins on his record, the Assyrian-American fighter is the next logical choice to challenge Islam Makhachev for the belt, on paper.
But with newly crowned champion Islam Makachev and his camp already eyeing a super fight against Alexander Volkanovski, Dariush might have to wait a little longer for his moment.
With that in mind, Chiesa is hoping that Dariush doesn't get the same treatment Tony Ferguson received during his spectacular 12-fight run. In a recent appearance on Round-Up w/ Paul Felder & Michael Chiesa, the welterweight contender said:
"I want to see Benny get a shot. I don't want to see Benny hang out in Tony Ferguson territory, where you go on this insane win streak and you don't get your shot at the undisputed title."
However, Chiesa thinks there might be a silver lining if Dariush gets snobbed. In lieu of a title shot, Chiesa pitched that the next best thing for Dariush is a showdown against erstwhile champion Charles Oliveira:
"So, I kind go back and forth... I like the idea of Islam going down to Perth to fight Alexander Volkanovski and you know we kind of touched on it before the show, maybe we finally see Beneil Dariush fight Charles Oliveira."
Watch the video below:
"What else can I do?" - Beneil Dariush makes case for title fight against Islam Makhachev
Beneil Dariush feels that his title shot is long overdue.
As far as Dariush is concerned, he's done everything in his power to secure a championship opportunity.
Dariush has called for a crack at the 155-pound gold on multiple occasions. After his triumphant outing at UFC 280 post-fight press conference, Dariush once again pointed out why he deserves to be the number one contender in the division:
"If that didn’t do it, what else can I do?... If that performance, beating a guy like [Mateusz] Gamrot – who some said he was undefeated coming into this fight – like beating a guy like that… Obviously, I didn’t finish him. He’s a lot tougher than I thought. I got kind of close in that last round."
Watch Beneil Dariush's press conference below: