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.
Beneil Dariush has offered a pointed take on Ilia Topuria's decision to fight Justin Gaethje rather than lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, suggesting the Georgian-Spanish contender lacked a clear blueprint for handling Makhachev and opted for the more strategically manageable matchup instead.
Dariush, 37, holds an 23-8-1 record and sits ranked eighth in the lightweight division. Fighting out of Kings MMA, the southpaw is one of the more technically versatile fighters in the 155-pound weight class, averaging 3.78 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy while also threatening with 2.11 takedowns per 15 minutes. His assessment carries the weight of someone who understands the division's complexities from the inside.
Topuria, ranked second at lightweight and the current number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, carries a 17-1 record and has established himself as one of the most dangerous finishers in the sport. The 29-year-old Spaniard lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and averages 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Dariush's reading of the situation implies that even a fighter of Topuria's caliber found the stylistic riddle of Makhachev too complex to solve at this stage.
That challenge is easy to understand when looking at Makhachev's profile. The welterweight champion — who also competes at lightweight — carries a 28-1 record and ranks first in the pound-for-pound standings. The 34-year-old Russian leads with elite grappling, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and posts a striking accuracy of 58 percent, the highest of the three fighters mentioned. His game plan tends to suffocate opponents before they can impose their own style.
Why it matters
- Topuria's next fight choice signals how top contenders are navigating the Makhachev problem
- A win over Gaethje could sharpen Topuria's credentials without forcing an immediate stylistic confrontation
- Makhachev's grappling-heavy approach remains the division's defining challenge for any striker-first challenger
