Arman Tsarukyan believes Beneil Dariush will defeat Charles Oliveira before fighting for the title

Arman Tsarukyan recently stated that he believes Beneil Dariush will beat Charles Oliveira and go on to fight for the lightweight title against Islam Makhachev. The 26-year-old is currently gearing up for his own next fight, which will see him face Damir Ismagulov at UFC Vegas 66 on December 17.

In an interview with The Schmo ahead of this weekend's event, Tsarukyan was asked for his thoughts on who he thinks Dariush will fight next. The No.9-ranked lightweight replied:

"I think Dariush is going to fight with maybe [Rafael] Fiziev or Oliveira. I heard he wants to fight and doesn't want to wait. And Dariush is going to beat Oliveira and then, like, going to fight with Islam [Makhachev]. And then I'm coming, coming to beat all those guys."

Watch the full interview below:

Beneil Dariush last fought Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, defeating the Polish fighter via unanimous decision to extend his winning streak to eight. Considering his achievements, the Iranian-born American could possibly be given a title shot against the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski.

Meanwhile, Charles Oliveira seems to be on a sabbatical from the octagon after losing his title match against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 via second-round submission. At the moment, there is no official notice regarding who 'Do Bronx' will fight next.

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Beneil Dariush names Charles Oliveira among other potential matchups after win over Mateusz Gamrot

After his exciting win against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, Beneil Dariush does not seem interested in waiting for a title shot.

While the Iranian-born American has done more than enough to warrant a fight for the lightweight crown, he will have to wait for the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski. That's something the in-form contender is apparently not keen on.

In a November interview with Luke Thomas on Morning Kombat, Dariush claimed that holding the belt did not motivate him as much and wanted a fight booked against three possible fighters. He stated:

"I guess right now my options are the winner of Dustin Poirier [vs. Michael Chandler], Charles [Oliveira], [Rafael] Fiziev. These are the three options... Those are great fights, so let’s just figure this out and move forward."

Watch the full interview below:

While Dariush was scheduled to face Charles Oliveira in 2020, the matchup never materialized after the Brazilian withdrew due to an undisclosed reason.

After his win over Michael Chandler at UFC 281, Dustin Poirier made it clear he isn't interested in facing Dariush. With that perhaps leaving Rafael Fiziev and Charles Oliveira as options, it remains to be seen who faces the No.4-ranked lightweight contender next.