Beneil Dariush shared his analysis on why Ilia Topuria chose to fight Justin Gaethje instead of Islam Makhachev. Dariush believes Topuria saw Gaethje as a money fight and, more importantly, as an opponent for whom it's much easier to prepare a game plan compared to Makhachev. The comments suggest Dariush thinks Topuria avoided the more challenging stylistic matchup with the lightweight champion. Dariush's assessment implies that Topuria lacked a clear strategy for facing Makhachev's skillset.
Lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has offered a pointed take on Ilia Topuria's decision to face Justin Gaethje rather than lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, arguing the Georgian-Spanish star prioritized a more manageable stylistic challenge over the tougher test at the top of the division.
Dariush, 37, carries a 23-8-1 record and is currently ranked eighth in the lightweight division competing out of Kings MMA. Fighting out of a southpaw stance at five-foot-ten with a 72-inch reach, the Iranian-American veteran averages 3.78 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy and backs that output up with 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes, giving him a well-rounded perspective on how the division's elite match up stylistically.
His comments centered on Topuria, the number-two ranked lightweight and the current pound-for-pound king at number one. The 29-year-old Spaniard holds a 17-1-0 record and is among the most active strikers in the sport, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute. Dariush's assessment was that Topuria viewed Gaethje as both a lucrative matchup and one for which a concrete game plan was far simpler to construct. The implication, according to Dariush, is that Topuria had no clear strategic answer for Makhachev's skillset.
That skillset belongs to the reigning champion, Russia's Islam Makhachev, who holds a 28-1-0 record and sits at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. Makhachev, 34, averages a division-leading 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts submissions at a rate of 1.1 per 15 minutes, combining that grappling dominance with 58 percent striking accuracy — the highest of the three fighters mentioned.
Why it matters
- Topuria's path to undisputed lightweight status runs through Makhachev, making the choice of opponent a significant strategic conversation
- Dariush's framing raises questions about whether Topuria has a workable blueprint against elite wrestlers and submission artists
- With Dariush ranked eighth, his public analysis keeps him visible in a lightweight landscape that remains unsettled beneath the champion
