Beneil Dariush believes Ilia Topuria selected Justin Gaethje as his opponent instead of Islam Makhachev because it was strategically easier to prepare for. According to Dariush, Topuria did not have a clear plan for facing Makhachev, making the matchup too complicated. Dariush suggests Topuria viewed the Gaethje fight as both a money-making opportunity and a more manageable challenge from a tactical preparation standpoint. The lightweight contender indicated that developing a game plan for Gaethje is significantly simpler compared to the complexities of preparing for Makhachev.
