“I’ll fight Islam Makhachev” – Beneil Dariush wants Alexander Volkanovski to fight THIS featherweight before lightweight title aspirations
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Islam Makhachev (L), Beneil Dariush (M), Alexander Volkanovski (R)
Beneil Dariush won’t let Alexander Volkanovski have a shot at the lightweight title without putting up a fight for the spot. The top-ranked lightweight contender has a proposal for the featherweight champion before his lightweight title bout against Islam Makhachev becomes official.
At UFC 280, Alexander Volkanovski did not only snub Beneil Dariush off his spot as the backup title contender for the main event between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, but he also has taken away the potential title shot from Dariush against Makhachev in the next lightweight title fight.
Dariush believes Volkanovski should first defend the featherweight belt against the rising contender, Arnold Allen. “You know, I think Volkanovski should really consider fighting Arnold Allen. I’ll fight Makhachev and then we’ll unite the belts,” said Dariush in an interview with Luke Thomas of Morning Kombat.
Dariush also said he believes that builds up the hype for Volkanovski’s move to the 155-division even more. “I think that’s a better idea because I think it builds it up more,” added Beneil Dariush. In the interview, Beneil suggested that he and Islam should fight for the lightweight belt on the very Perth Card where Alexander Volkanovski defends his featherweight belt against Arnold Allen.
Who deserves the lightweight title shot more? Beneil Dariush or Alexander Volkanovski?
Alexander Volkanovski is currently the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. The featherweight champion has done more than enough for him to call for a shot at the lightweight title. Volkanovski has really taken his time and proven that he is miles ahead of everyone in the featherweight division before calling out the winner of the UFC 280 main event fight.
Beneil Dariush, on the other hand, has been starving for a shot at the title. He is currently the #4 fighter on the lightweight rankings and is ready to fight for the title. He is on an 8-fight winning streak and is coming off a win against one of the biggest prospects of the division, Mateusz Gamrot.
There is no doubt that Dariush is the clear title contender for Makhachev if Volkanovski does not fight for the lightweight belt. However, the fact that Islam Makhachev wants the pound-for-pound best title gives Volkanovski the edge as the next lightweight title contender.
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Prateek Athanur
(2944 Articles Published)