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Neiman Gracie recently opened up on the UFC lightweight title picture. The BJJ wizard fervently believes that his teammate Beneil Dariush deserves a title shot.
During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Gracie spoke about his upcoming fight at Bellator 290. He also mentioned that their team is working hard to ensure the No.4-ranked lightweight is prepared for a title shot:
"We are really looking forward to Beneil Dariush fighting for the title. So, we've been waiting for them [the UFC] to give him that opportunity, you know. And we are all very excited for him and can't wait for him to fight for the title because we know that he's gonna win." [8:23 - 8:40]
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist also gave his prediction for the upcoming lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. He mentioned that Makhachev should be fine against the reigning featherweight champion and believes that Dariush is the fighter to dethrone him, saying:
"I think he [Beneil Dariush] would do great. I think he's the one to beat Makhachev, and I don't think Volkanovski will beat Makhachev, so I think the one to win that fight, to give a good fight against Makhachev is gonna be Beneil for sure." [8:58 - 9:12]
Gracie is scheduled to headline the prelims portion of Bellator 290 on February 4. The event will be a significant one for the promotion as they will be making their network debut on CBS.
Check out the full interview:
Neiman Gracie still confident despite the short-notice opponent change
Neiman Gracie remains confident he will pick up a win as he takes on Dante Schiro at Bellator 290 on February 4. He was originally scheduled to fight Michael Lombardo. However, Lombardo was forced to withdraw from the event, and Schiro stepped in as the replacement.
During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Gracie mentioned that the change in opponent didn't disrupt his training. He claimed that despite only having two weeks to prepare for Schiro, his game plan remains the same:
"It doesn't change anything because I always have the same gameplan for every fighter, so no changes in my end. So, I just go out there and no secret what I'm gonna try to do. Try to take him down and finish him with a submission, so it doesn't matter who it is, the gameplan is always the same." [0:50 - 1:09]
The BJJ savant is hoping to snap his two-fight losing skid and get back on track in the Bellator welterweight division.
