Beneil Dariush has offered his analysis 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 strategically easier to prepare for. He suggests it's much simpler to develop a fight plan against Gaethje compared to the technical challenges posed by Makhachev. This represents Dariush's perspective on the matchmaking decision in the lightweight division.
Beneil Dariush has weighed in on one of the lightweight division's most debated matchmaking decisions, arguing that Ilia Topuria chose to fight Justin Gaethje over Islam Makhachev because the latter simply posed too complex a puzzle to solve.
Dariush, the number-eight ranked lightweight in the world, shared his analysis publicly on April 14. The 37-year-old American fighter out of Kings MMA carries a 23-8-1 record and brings a well-rounded game to his assessments, averaging 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 3.78 significant strikes landed per minute across his career.
According to Dariush, Topuria lacked a clear game plan for Makhachev and that uncertainty drove the decision. He framed the Gaethje bout as both a financially rewarding and strategically manageable alternative. In Dariush's view, building a fight plan around Gaethje is considerably more straightforward than trying to account for the technical complexity Makhachev presents.
That complexity is hard to argue with on paper. Makhachev, the current welterweight champion and the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, holds a 28-1 record at 34 years old. The Russian southpaw out of Eagles MMA lands takedowns at a rate of 3.2 per 15 minutes and attempts more than one submission per 15 minutes, complementing a striking accuracy of 58 percent — well above the division's typical output.
Topuria, ranked second in the lightweight division and the top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet entering 2026, carries a 17-1 record at just 29 years old. The Spain-based orthodox striker known as El Matador lands a striking volume of 4.81 significant strikes per minute, making him one of the busiest offensive fighters in the weight class.
Why it matters
- Topuria's choice to bypass Makhachev keeps the lightweight title picture unsettled
- Makhachev's elite grappling credentials make him a uniquely difficult stylistic challenge for any striker
- Dariush's read adds a strategic dimension to what appeared on the surface to be a straightforward matchmaking call
