Beneil Dariush believes Ilia Topuria opted to fight Justin Gaethje instead of Islam Makhachev because he lacked a clear strategy for facing Makhachev. According to Dariush, Topuria viewed the Gaethje matchup as a lucrative opportunity that would be easier to prepare for tactically. Dariush suggests it's much simpler to develop a game plan against Gaethje than against the technically diverse Makhachev. This represents Dariush's analysis of Topuria's recent matchmaking decisions at the top of the lightweight division.
