Beneil Dariush has offered his analysis on why Ilia Topuria chose to fight Justin Gaethje instead of Islam Makhachev. Dariush believes Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a money-making opportunity that would be much easier to prepare for strategically. According to Dariush, developing a clear game plan for Gaethje is significantly simpler than preparing for Makhachev. He suggests Topuria did not have a concrete strategy for facing the lightweight champion. This commentary provides insight into the strategic thinking behind high-level matchmaking decisions in the UFC.
Beneil Dariush has weighed in on one of the more debated matchmaking decisions in recent lightweight history, arguing that Ilia Topuria opted to fight Justin Gaethje rather than Islam Makhachev because the former presented a far simpler strategic puzzle.
Dariush, a 37-year-old southpaw ranked eighth in the lightweight division with a 23-8-1 record, is no stranger to the complexities of preparing for elite competition. Fighting out of Kings MMA, the Iranian-American veteran lands 3.78 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy and averages 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a well-rounded perspective on what it takes to break down different styles at the top of the 155-pound class.
According to Dariush, Topuria — the number-two ranked lightweight and the current pound-for-pound king at 17-1-0 — viewed the Gaethje matchup as both a lucrative opportunity and a tactically manageable one. Dariush suggested that Topuria lacked a concrete game plan for facing Makhachev and that building one would be considerably more difficult than preparing for Gaethje. The 29-year-old Spaniard, known as El Matador, is a high-volume striker who lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute, but Dariush implies that output alone does not translate into a blueprint for handling the lightweight champion.
Makhachev, 34, holds a 28-1-0 record and is the reigning champion, widely regarded as one of the most complete fighters on the planet. His 58 percent striking accuracy, 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes, and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes make him an extraordinarily difficult opponent to scheme against, a point Dariush's commentary underscores.
Why it matters
- Dariush's analysis highlights the strategic complexity Makhachev poses versus more straightforward opposition at lightweight.
- Topuria's ranking and pound-for-pound status mean any fight he takes carries significant divisional implications.
- The commentary raises questions about whether a Topuria-Makhachev matchup will eventually materialise and on what timeline.
