Dariush: Topuria chose Gaethje over Makhachev due to easier game plan

Beneil Dariush believes that Ilia Topuria did not have a clear plan for fighting Islam Makhachev, which influenced his decision to face Justin Gaethje instead. Dariush suggested that Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a lucrative opportunity that would be much easier to prepare a specific game plan for compared to Makhachev. The assessment implies that Topuria chose strategic convenience and financial gain over the more challenging stylistic puzzle that Makhachev presents.