Beneil Dariush has offered his perspective on why Ilia Topuria chose to fight Justin Gaethje instead of Islam Makhachev. According to Dariush, Topuria did not have a clear game plan for facing Makhachev, which influenced his decision. Dariush believes Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a lucrative opportunity that would be easier to prepare for strategically. The lightweight contender suggested that developing a plan for Gaethje is much simpler than preparing for Makhachev's skill set. This assessment provides Dariush's interpretation of Topuria's matchmaking choices.
Beneil Dariush has weighed in on Ilia Topuria's decision to pursue a fight with Justin Gaethje rather than a unification bout against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, suggesting the Georgian-Spanish star lacked a concrete game plan for the Russian champion.
Dariush, a 37-year-old southpaw out of Kings MMA who sits eighth in the lightweight rankings with a 23-8-1 record, said Topuria's camp simply could not map out a reliable strategy against Makhachev. The California-based contender argued that designing a preparation plan around Gaethje is far more straightforward than trying to solve a fighter of Makhachev's complexity, and that the financial upside of the Gaethje matchup also made it an attractive option.
Topuria, ranked second at lightweight and first in the pound-for-pound standings at just 29 years old, carries a 17-1-0 record and lands a striking volume of 4.81 significant strikes per minute. Moving up from featherweight, "El Matador" brings relentless offense and over one submission attempt per 15 minutes, but Dariush's comments imply that Makhachev's skill set represents a different kind of problem entirely.
Makhachev, the reigning champion with a 28-1-0 record and the top pound-for-pound ranking, is widely regarded as one of the most difficult fighters to prepare for. The 34-year-old Eagles MMA product leads all three fighters in striking accuracy at 58 percent and posts 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts in the same span — a combination that demands specific and detailed preparation.
Why it matters
- Dariush's comments frame Topuria's matchmaking as strategically motivated rather than purely driven by competition
- A Topuria win over Gaethje could set up a future lightweight title shot, keeping the Makhachev picture unsettled
- The remarks highlight how Makhachev's grappling-heavy, high-accuracy style creates unique tactical headaches for opponents
