Beneil Dariush stated that Ilia Topuria did not have a clear plan for fighting Islam Makhachev, which influenced his decision to face Justin Gaethje instead. Dariush believes Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as a more lucrative opportunity that would be easier to prepare for strategically. According to Dariush, developing a gameplan for Gaethje is considerably simpler than crafting one for Makhachev. The comments suggest Dariush sees Topuria's matchmaking choice as tactical rather than avoiding a challenge.
