Beneil Dariush offered his perspective on why Ilia Topuria chose to fight Justin Gaethje instead of Islam Makhachev. Dariush stated that he believes Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a money-making opportunity that would be much simpler to prepare for compared to facing Makhachev. According to Dariush, Topuria did not have a clear game plan for fighting Makhachev, making Gaethje the more strategically appealing option. The comments suggest Dariush sees the matchup selection as both financially and tactically motivated.
Beneil Dariush has weighed in on Ilia Topuria's decision to pursue a fight with Justin Gaethje rather than Islam Makhachev, arguing the choice was driven by both financial appeal and a lack of tactical preparation against the champion.
Dariush, a 37-year-old lightweight ranked eighth in the division with a career record of 23-8-1, stated that he believes Topuria saw the Gaethje matchup as a more lucrative and far simpler assignment. The Kings MMA product added that Topuria did not have a clear game plan for dealing with Makhachev, which made the alternative the more strategically sensible route. Dariush averages 3.78 significant strikes per minute and 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a well-rounded frame of reference when assessing how challenging elite grapplers can be to prepare for.
Topuria, known as El Matador, enters this conversation as the number-two ranked lightweight and the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world at just 29 years old. The Spain-based Georgian carries a 17-1-0 record and posts a high-volume striking output of 4.81 significant strikes per minute. His reach of 69 inches and height of five-foot-seven make the physical puzzle against a wrestler of Makhachev's caliber a genuinely complex one to solve.
Makhachev, the reigning champion with a 28-1-0 record, holds the number-one pound-for-pound ranking and brings a smothering grappling game to every fight. The 34-year-old Russian averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands submissions at a rate of 1.1 attempts per 15 minutes, all while posting a striking accuracy of 58 percent. His profile represents one of the most complete skill sets in the sport.
Why it matters
- Dariush's comments frame Topuria's matchup selection as a deliberate avoidance of the division's most dangerous stylistic challenge
- A Topuria win over Gaethje could strengthen his case for a future lightweight title shot, keeping the Makhachev question alive
- The lightweight title picture remains unsettled, with multiple contenders watching how the top of the division unfolds
