Beneil Dariush believes Ilia Topuria did not have a clear plan for fighting Islam Makhachev, which influenced his decision to face Justin Gaethje instead. Dariush suggested Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a money opportunity and one for which it would be much simpler to prepare a game plan compared to facing Makhachev. The lightweight contender offered this perspective on Topuria's strategic choices in opponent selection.
