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Beneil Dariush has come out and expressed his thoughts on Alexander Volkanovski being picked as the official backup fighter for the UFC 280 main event over him.
During a recent interview on Submission Radio, Dariush admitted that he was unhappy with being passed up for the backup role ahead of the lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.
The 33-year-old added that although he's frustrated, he understands the UFC's reasoning for picking Volkanovski:
"Well, at first, I was geniunely confused, and then I was pretty pi**ed, and then I started just kind of thinking about it and... I'm annoyed about it, I'm kind of butthurt, but it makes sense if you think about it. So, it was never like a written agreement that I was gonna be the backup... A guy like Volkanovski, who's currently, I believe, number one pound-for-pound, wants to volunteer and jump on that, it makes sense on their part... So I get it, bro... It makes sense business-wise. Obviously, it sucks for me, but I get why they did what they did."
Catch the full Beneil Dariush interview on Submission Radio below:
Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning featherweight champion, recently announced himself as the official backup fighter for the UFC 280 main event in a post on social media.
Dariush initially came out to dispute the Australian's claim. However, Volkanovski said that a miscommunication between Dariush and his management may have led to this confusion.
'The Great' told Yahoo! Sports:
I'm sure maybe he [Beneil Dariush] did get told that by someone. Maybe the person that told him that did get told that before they knew I was locked in... and they just haven't had that conversation."
Catch the full interview below:
A win at UFC 280 might move Beneil Dariush closer to a title shot
Beneil Dariush is scheduled for a lightweight showdown with Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280. The 33-year-old is currently on a seven-fight win streak that includes victories over names like Tony Ferguson, Carlos Diego Ferreira and Drew Dober.
A win over 'Gamer' could possibly put Dariush next in line for a shot at lightweight gold. However, it will not be a cakewalk for the Iranian-born American fighter.
Gamrot is 21-1 in his professional MMA career. The 31-year-old Pole has won four out of his five fights in the UFC and is currently on a four-fight winning streak.
With that in mind, Gamrot could prove to be a tough test for Dariush. Nevertheless, if the 33-year-old manages to get past 'Gamer', there is a chance that his next fight might be for the gold.
