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

Beneil Dariush stated that Ilia Topuria lacked a clear plan for facing Islam Makhachev, which influenced his decision to fight Justin Gaethje instead. Dariush suggested that Topuria viewed Gaethje as a more financially lucrative matchup and one that is significantly easier to prepare a game plan for compared to Makhachev. The comments indicate Dariush believes strategic planning played a key role in Topuria's opponent selection.