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Beneil Dariush believes he is the most deserving of the next lightweight title shot.
After successfully defending the UFC 155-pound title against Alexander Volkanovski, Islam Makhachev now awaits his next challenger. The most likely candidates are Dustin Poirier, Rafael Fiziev/Justin Chandler, and Dariush/Charles Oliveira, which will reportedly take place on May 6 at UFC 288.
In the aftermath of UFC 284, Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports had this to say on Twitter:
“I know there are reports that Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush are going to fight in May, but let's be honest. @BeneilDariush is the only lightweight who deserves a title shot right now #UFC284”
Dariush agreed with Mahjouri by saying:
“Agreed.”
‘Benny’ made his UFC debut in 2014 with a pro-MMA record of 6-0. Nine years later, Dariush is 16-4-1 in the UFC and is currently riding an eight-fight win streak. He last fought in October at UFC 280, defeating Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision. The question is, will the Kings MMA fighter finally get his well-deserved title shot if he defeats Oliveira in May?
Watch Beneil Dariush's interaction with Shakiel Mahjouri below:
Will Beneil Dariush earn a lightweight title shot with a win against Charles Oliveira?
Beneil Dariush has suffered from the harsh reality of the MMA business. Not only do fighters have to win, but they also have to promote themselves to earn bigger opportunities. For example, the star power of Conor McGregor always makes him one or two wins away from a title shot.
On the contrary, Dariush doesn’t talk trash or create buzz outside the MMA community, making it harder for him to earn a title shot. After eight consecutive UFC lightweight wins, ‘Benny’ can’t be denied a championship fight if he beats No. 1-ranked Charles Oliveira.
The timeline between Dariush’s next fight and Islam Makahchev’s return matches up well. The Russian will likely take at least six months to recover from injuries suffered against Alexander Volkanovski and his grueling training camp. Meanwhile, ‘Benny’ is supposed to fight in three months and should be ready to go quickly, assuming he doesn’t suffer any severe injuries.
Before worrying about a lightweight title shot, Dariush has a tough mountain to climb against Oliveira, who is extra motivated to regain the 155-pound throne.
