UFC Predictions: UFC Fight Night: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan

The UFC is set to head to Austin, Texas, this weekend for a Fight Night event that features some genuinely outstanding fights.

UFC Fight Night: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan features major bouts at lightweight, bantamweight, and middleweight, and appears to be well worth watching.

With that said, here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Fight Night: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan.

#1. UFC lightweight bout: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan will be hoping to push into contention this weekend [Image Credit: @arm_011 on Instagram]

While neither of these fighters have the biggest name, it’s safe to say that this bout is a huge and pivotal one at 155 pounds.

Beneil Dariush is ranked at No.4 and Arman Tsarukyan is ranked at No.8. A win for either man would propel them into lightweight title contention, so who will come out on top?

A bit of a slow-burner, Dariush came into the UFC back in 2014 with a reputation as a slick grappler. However, at times, his lack of natural athleticism caught up with him, and when he was knocked out by Alexander Hernandez in 2018, his chance of a real title push seemed dead.

Since then, though, the Iranian-born American has come on leaps and bounds. He’s still a lesser athlete in a world populated by naturally explosive specimens, but his striking is now technically excellent, making him a threat in all areas.

However, last time he fought, he saw a stunning eight-fight win streak evaporated in just four minutes, as Charles Oliveira basically melted him with strikes.

Given that Dariush is usually more durable than that, should he be worried going forwards? Perhaps. He’s been around the top for a decade now, which is usually a red flag, and he’s also 35 in a few months’ time.

Tsarukyan is almost a decade younger, and it’s fair to say he’s shown ridiculous potential since his arrival in the promotion in 2019. His debut saw him face off with current lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, and his skills pushed the Dagestani harder than most of his other foes.

Since then, Tsarukyan has won seven of eight fights, with his only loss coming via a semi-controversial decision against fellow contender Mateusz Gamrot.

Overall, the Russian-Armenian is one of the few fighters in the UFC who has basically no weaknesses. He’s a ridiculously heavy grappler who even gave Makhachev issues, and he’s also shown in some of his fights that he hits very hard, too.

The issue he’s had seems to be the fact that his well-rounded nature means he’s almost too willing to take on opponents in their own wheelhouse – something that got him into trouble against Joaquim Silva in June and arguably allowed Gamrot to edge him too.

Therefore, in this fight, if Tsarukyan decides he’s going to test his grappling against Dariush, he might pay for it. Sure, he’s a powerful wrestler, but he doesn’t possess the slick skills of the Iranian-born American and might end up leaving himself open.

On the feet, though, he has more power than Dariush and is far quicker, too. If he can prevent the takedown with his wrestling, then, there’s definitely a chance that he can follow in the footsteps of Oliveira and Hernandez and turn the lights out on the veteran.

This is a hard fight to pick purely because Dariush basically turned back the challenge of Gamrot a few months ago in a somewhat similar match-up. However, it’s arguable that ‘Gamer’ doesn’t possess the raw talent of Tsarukyan, nor does he hold the same kind of brutal power in his hands.

Add in Dariush’s loss to Oliveira, which could be hanging over him, and the pick is Tsarukyan via KO.

The Pick: Tsarukyan via TKO

#2. UFC lightweight bout: Jalin Turner vs. Bobby Green

Can Jalin Turner pick up a win on late notice this weekend? [Image Credit: @thetarantula on Instagram]

Initially, this fight would’ve seen Bobby Green squaring off with Dan Hooker, but with ‘The Hangman’ out, the UFC has pulled out a decent rabbit from its hat.

Jalin Turner suffered a loss to Hooker in his last fight, but prior to that, ‘The Tarantula’ appeared to be one of the fastest-rising fighters at 155 pounds.

Between February 2020 and July 2022, Turner put together a run of five straight wins to rise into the top 15, finishing all five opponents before the final buzzer.

The biggest strength ‘The Tarantula’ has is his size and reach at this weight. Standing at 6’3”, Turner boasts a 77” reach, and will tower over the 5’9” Green this weekend.

However, whether he can outbox ‘King’ is another thing. Green’s somewhat casual nature can often get him into trouble, either with heavier hitters or from a lack of volume, but he’s a very slick striker, as we saw when he knocked out Grant Dawson in October.

Add in a solid wrestling game, and ‘King’ is a well-rounded fighter who, it’s arguable, probably should’ve done more with his talent over the years.

Considering his wins over Dawson and Tony Ferguson, Green is certainly on a roll right now, but the issue is that he’s now 37 years old. He isn’t slowing down per say, but he isn’t as durable or explosive as he once was, and his reflexes might not be quite as quick these days.

Will that give Turner some openings? It’s definitely possible, as ‘The Tarantula’ can crack, and can finish a hurt opponent either on the feet or the ground.

The biggest worry for him, though, will be the weight cut. Taking this fight on just over a week’s notice, Turner is almost guaranteed to struggle to reach 155 pounds, especially as he missed weight for his clash with Hooker.

With that considered, it’s likely he’ll come in depleted, and that should allow Green the advantage. Taking this into account, then, the pick is Green via decision in a close one.

The Pick: Green via decision

#3. UFC Fight Night: The Main Card

How will Deiveson Figueiredo adjust to 135lbs? [Image Credit: @daico_deusdeguerra on Instagram]

In a fascinating bantamweight bout, former flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo moves to 135 pounds for the first time to take on Rob Font. If Figueiredo can win this one, he could enter title contention, so can he do it?

In all honesty, it’s hard to say. ‘The God of War’ had a phenomenal run at 125 pounds and it’s arguable that the heavy weight cut was the major factor in his two title losses to Brandon Moreno. However, he’s also 35 years old now, and while he will be able to pack more muscle on at this weight, his frame isn’t a huge one.

Font, meanwhile, has suffered losses to the likes of Jose Aldo, Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen that have pushed him out of title contention. Outside of those, though, he’s used his sharp boxing to beat all other opponents.

This one should depend on whether Figueiredo is quick enough to get inside the long reach of Font and do damage either on the feet or the ground. If he can do that, then this is a winnable bout.

However, the big issue is not only going to be getting inside, it’s also the fact that Font is a remarkably durable fighter who has never been finished by KO and has only ever been submitted once.

Overall, were Figueiredo in his physical prime prior to taking a lot of damage in his bouts with Moreno, it’d be a safer bet for him to edge this. As it is, though, he might be simply a little too shopworn at this point. The pick is Font via decision.

At welterweight, Sean Brady takes on Kelvin Gastelum. In many ways, this could be seen as a clash between fighters who haven’t quite reached their potential.

Brady looked like he was a surefire title contender after dispatching the likes of Jake Matthews and Michael Chiesa easily with his heavy grappling. However, a bad loss to Belal Muhammad last October derailed him and he hasn’t fought since.

Gastelum, on the other hand, has never quite settled at either 170 or 185 pounds despite some strong success at times, and this will actually be his first fight as a welterweight since 2016.

It’s probably arguable that Gastelum is the better fighter here overall, and if he can keep Brady off him, then he should be able to follow Muhammad’s blueprint and win. However, the TUF 17 has, at times, struggled against stronger grapplers, and that should be worrying.

If Brady is at his best then he’d be a fair pick here, but coming off over a year out, it’s tricky. With that in mind the pick is Gastelum via TKO.

Finally, in a middleweight bout, Punahele Soriano faces Dustin Stoltzfus. Quite how this one has made the main card, when both men have a combined two wins in their last nine fights is baffling. However, hopefully they’ll produce somewhat of an entertaining brawl.

Who will take it? It’s honestly hard to say, but to be fair, Soriano’s losses have largely come against grappling-based foes, and Stoltzfus is more likely to engage him standing.

That could prove to be an issue, as ‘Puna’ hits very hard and has three knockout wins in the octagon. With that in mind, the pick is Soriano via KO.

#4. UFC Fight Night: The Prelims

Picks in bold

UFC lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Joaquim Silva

UFC bantamweight bout: Miesha Tate vs. Julia Avila

UFC middleweight bout: Zach Reese vs. Cody Brundage

UFC lightweight bout: Drakkar Klose vs. Joe Solecki

UFC featherweight bout: Steve Garcia vs. Melquizael Costa

UFC light heavyweight bout: Rodolfo Bellato vs. Ihor Poteria

UFC welterweight bout: Wellington Turman vs. Jared Gooden

UFC flyweight bout: Veronica Hardy vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth