Could Beneil Dariush be the first contender to recently crowned UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira? He’s not counting on it, however he believes it’s likely.
Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) stretched his winning streak to seven fights this past Saturday when he beat Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision at UFC 262 in Houston. He’s been on a huge rise in recent years and is now one of the top-ranked rivals at 155 pounds, as Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) starts the post-Khabib Nurmagomedov period with the win.
While UFC president Dana White has not agreed to a particular scenario for Oliveira’s first defense, many consider the winner of the Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor trilogy battle on July 10 at UFC 264 to be the strong front-runner for a title shot. Dariush doesn’t think that’s unfair, but that also doesn’t imply that’s sure to happen.
Negotiations have traditionally become more difficult to finalize as Poirier – and particularly McGregor – are among the most prominent names in the sport. Talks will go wrong at any time. Dariush says he’ll be able to jump in if anything happens.
“I think I (have) a real case for the title,” Dariush told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “In terms of company, that’s the battle that will earn the title shot. But here’s the thing: I’m the only guy in that division with an actual streak. That’s one thing. Right now, I have the longest run in the top three. Another issue is that these men don’t have their contracts worked out in a hurry. These guys will fight – I’ve seen contracts fall apart with Dustin and Conor. Things haven’t worked out for them. So I’m sitting here, preparing to go.”
Dariush’s scenario has a big timing snag on his end. He claimed both before and after his victory over Ferguson that, owing to the impending birth of his first child in the coming weeks, he has no plans to compete again until the end of 2021.
He doesn’t anticipate Oliveira to hurry into another battle, but Dariush believes the timing might still work in his favor.
“All you have to do is offer me a fight at the end of November or December,” Dariush said. “That’s what I’m doing. It’s not too far off. I’m sure Charles would want and take a break to celebrate in Brazil and do his stuff. So, I’m here.”
Dariush is keen to get his hands on Oliveira if the chance arises. The match was supposed to take place in October, but Oliveira backed out due to injury. His journey after has taken him to UFC gold, while Dariush’s has positioned him as a top contender in the category. Dariush has no ill will against Oliveira, but he would like the chance to actually share the cage and decide who is the stronger boxer.
Dariush said of confronting Oliveira, “I’ve already talked about it.” “I’m not sure if you recall, but I’ve already been paired with this man a few times. I’ve talked of how I’d battle him and how I’d pursue him, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun. I hope people will like it.”