COSTA MESA, Calif. – UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush is healthy again but can’t seem to get his desired opponent.
Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) was forced out of his UFC Fight Night 202 main event against Islam Makhachev in February because of a broken fibula, but he’s now ready to return as soon as the end of August.
At first, it appeared UFC president Dana White was keen on rebooking Dariush against Makhachev, but after Charles Oliveira (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC) was stripped of his lightweight title for missing weight prior to beating Justin Gaethje this past May, Dariush has an inkling the promotion will match Oliveira and Makhachev for the vacant title. So where does that leave Dariush, who’s on a seven-fight winning streak? He has an idea.
“There’s the situation with Charles right now,” Dariush told MMA Junkie. “He’s not the champion, he wants to fight Conor (McGregor), (but) I think the UFC wants to set up Islam and Charles, so it puts me kind of in limbo. So I’m just waiting to see what happens. If Charles and Islam does get set up, a guy like Dustin Poirier makes a lot of sense. I’d love to fight him. I know he was talking about fighting in August. That’ll be great. August, September, whatever, we could go.”
Dariush explained that he prefers Makhachev or Oliveira over Poirier simply because of the momentum on their side. Poirier is coming off a submission loss in a title fight to Oliveira last December, while Oliveira and Makhachev are owners of the longest winning streaks in the division.
“We don’t have to go to Abu Dhabi. I could even go to Florida if they want. I don’t mind,” Dariush said of fighting Poirier. “So that’s one thing I had in mind, but I don’t know, because what if Charles doesn’t take the fight? He keeps saying no, no, no. What then? Do I still get Islam? Because for me, ideally I want to fight the best guys in the division.
“And no disrespect to Dustin Poirier, I just think Islam right now is in his prime, and he’s feeling himself, and I think with Dustin with how everything has been going, a little bit of the fire has been taken out under him, so I really want the Islam fight first. That would be ideal. Charles, Islam and then it goes to Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, guys like that.”
UFC’s Beneil Dariush eyes Dustin Poirier if he can’t get Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira