Dariush: Topuria chose Gaethje because easier to prepare for than Makhachev

Beneil Dariush offered his analysis on why Ilia Topuria chose to fight Justin Gaethje rather than Islam Makhachev. Dariush believes Topuria did not have a clear plan for facing Makhachev, making the matchup more difficult to prepare for. According to Dariush, Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a good money-making opportunity and a matchup that was significantly easier to develop a game plan for compared to the challenges presented by Makhachev's style.