Beneil Dariush believes Ilia Topuria did not have a clear game plan for a potential fight with Islam Makhachev, which influenced his decision to face Justin Gaethje instead. According to Dariush, Topuria viewed the Gaethje bout as a money-making opportunity. Dariush stated it is much easier to prepare a fight plan for Gaethje than for Makhachev. The comments suggest Topuria opted for a more strategically manageable opponent. Dariush's analysis implies the technical challenge posed by Makhachev was a significant factor in Topuria's choice.
Beneil Dariush has offered a pointed explanation for why Ilia Topuria passed on a fight with Islam Makhachev, suggesting the Georgian-Spanish star lacked a clear tactical blueprint for taking on the champion.
Dariush, a lightweight contender carrying a 23-8-1 record and ranked eighth in the division, said Topuria simply could not map out a viable game plan against Makhachev, and that difficulty pushed him toward a bout with Justin Gaethje instead. The 37-year-old Kings MMA product noted that preparing for Gaethje is a far more straightforward exercise by comparison, and framed Topuria's decision as one driven partly by the financial upside of the Gaethje matchup.
Topuria, currently ranked second at lightweight and sitting atop the pound-for-pound rankings at number one, enters any conversation as one of the sport's most dangerous strikers. The 29-year-old Spaniard lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and holds a 17-1-0 record, with that lone defeat a distant mark on an otherwise dominant resume.
The challenge Makhachev presents is easy to see in the numbers. The reigning champion carries a 28-1-0 record and lands 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes while converting 58 percent of his significant strikes — the highest accuracy figure among the three fighters discussed. At 34, the Russian southpaw out of Eagles MMA has established himself as arguably the most complete mixed martial artist in the sport today.
Why it matters
- Topuria's move to lightweight and his divisional ranking make a title shot conversation inevitable, but this episode suggests Makhachev may not be next in line.
- Dariush's comments frame the Gaethje fight as a calculated choice rather than the most competitive path available to Topuria.
- A Topuria-Makhachev matchup remains the most significant unclaimed bout in the lightweight division, and any further delay only adds to its weight.
