Beneil Dariush claims Topuria chose Gaethje over Makhachev due to easier game plan

Beneil Dariush stated that Ilia Topuria lacked a clear plan for fighting Islam Makhachev, which led him to choose a bout with Justin Gaethje instead. Dariush suggested Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a money opportunity that would be much easier to prepare a game plan for compared to facing Makhachev. The comments represent Dariush's analysis of Topuria's strategic decision-making regarding opponent selection. No response from Topuria to these claims was included in the post.