Beneil Dariush says Topuria chose Gaethje over Makhachev due to easier plan

Beneil Dariush offered his analysis on Ilia Topuria's decision to fight Justin Gaethje instead of Islam Makhachev. Dariush stated that Topuria did not have a clear game plan for facing Makhachev, which influenced his choice. He suggested Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a money-making opportunity that would be much easier to prepare for strategically compared to Makhachev. The comments were made in an interview published on April 14, 2026. No response from Topuria or his team was included in the post.