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Beneil Dariush is expected to face Islam Makhachev in a crucial lightweight matchup on February 26, 2022.
Currently ranked at No.3 and No.4 respectively, Dariush and Makhachev are regarded as two of the best lightweights in the world.
Former UFC fighter Josh Thomson recently weighed in on the upcoming matchup between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev. While the Dagestani is considered to be a formidable wrestler destined for title glory, Thomson believes the Iranian-born American has a fair chance of beating him.
According to Thomson, Beneil Dariush's awkward fighting style will give him an edge against Makhachev that not many other fighters will have. On a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, he said:
"I think Dariush has a better chance than most at beating Islam. Because he is so wild and crazy. He throws shots from different angles, he's awkward. It's going to be a tough task for him [Makhachev]. Someone like a Dustin Poirier and somebody like a Justin Gaethje, they are very straightforward fighters, okay. They come forward, straight punches, kicks, sure they threaten the submissions. They are a lot easier to figure out than a Beneil Dariush. Like a Tony ferguson was so hard to deal with because everything came from weird angles, things were jumping elbows, jumping punches, roll-away double-leg takedown defenses. Sh*t like that, those are people that are hard to deal with."
Catch the episode of the Weighing In podcast below:
Beneil Dariush has confidence in his grappling
While he may be an awkward striker to deal with, Beneil Dariush is primarily a wrestler. Dariush, who is currently riding a seven-fight win streak, isn't sacred to grapple against Islam Makhachev, who is on a magnificent nine-fight win streak of his own.
According to the 32-year-old, he is well-rounded and can take the fight to Makhachev in all aspects of the game. Beneil Dariush recently told RT Sport:
“I don’t really think too much about Islam – I think about me. What do I do in my fights? I’m a grappler, obviously, so I’m not going to be like, ‘Oh, he’s a grappler – I can’t grapple.’ Of course I’m going to try and grapple. I know how to strike, so of course I’m going to use my striking. I’m not a person where I feel like, ‘Oh, I have to do this in order to win the fight.’ I feel comfortable everywhere. So if I want to wrestle, I’ll wrestle. If I want to strike, I’ll strike. If I want to counter, I’ll counter. I can do all things, so I’m not worried about it."
Catch Beneil Dariush's interview with RT Sport below:
