Beneil Dariush reveals that fight against Islam Makhachev was supposed to happen at UFC 267

UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush has revealed that the fight against Islam Makhachev was supposed to take place at UFC 267.

Speaking to Daniel Cormier on ESPN MMA, Beneil Dariush asserted that he was picked by UFC president Dana White as Makhachev's next opponent, but the bout couldn't be finalized. Islam Makhachev then ended up fighting Thaigo Moises.

He said:

"Remember when Islam fought Thiago Moises? Dana said, 'hey I would like Islam to fight Dariush', and I was like, 'man if we could do December, that would make perfect sense for me'...but Islam had to do October 30th for Abu Dhabi, because of the huge fan base he has over there... But I just had a baby, I [had] no clue what I was doing, I'm gonna need some time."

Beneil Dariush will finally face Islam Makhachev next year. The two lightweights have signed contracts and have agreed to fight at UFC Fight Night: 203 on February 26th, 2022.

Islam Makhachev is on an impressive 9-fight win streak in the UFC and is hailed by many as the most deserving contender to challenge for the lightweight title.

Meanwhile, Beneil Dariush also has a lot of momentum behind him, as he himself is on a 7-fight win streak inside the octagon. Dariush has faced tough competition throughout his career, going up against the likes of Edson Barboza, Drew Dober and Tony Ferguson.

---

Beneil Dariush says he matches up well against Islam Makhachev: sees it as an 'opportunity to grow'

Beneil Dariush spoke about how he matches up with Islam Makhachev. Speaking about the Dagestani Sambo specialist's skillset inside the octagon, Dariush said he possesses all the tools to nullify Makhachev inside the octagon.

When asked why he chose to face one of the most avoided fighters in the lightweight division, Dariush replied:

"So, one of the things I like about this fight is, we, in a lot of ways merit each other. He's a southpaw, I think he's a little bit taller than me, he does a lot of faints, gets a lot of takedowns, pressures guys and breaks people. I like doing all of that!... I just think it's gonna be a great fight. It's gonna be an opportunity for us to grow, so I'm looking forward to it."

Watch Beneil Dariush's full interview with Daniel Cormier on ESPN MMA, right here: