Getty Alexander Volkanovski & Max Holloway
Watching UFC 284’s Islam Makhachev versus Alexander Volkanovski this past weekend confirmed Beneil Dariush’s belief that he is the best fighter in the world.
Makhachev, the lightweight champion, and featherweight king Volkanovski battled for the 155-pound strap in Perth, Australia. And after a close, back-and-forth bout that highlighted the elite skills of the top two ranked pound-for-pound fighters in the world, Makhachev came out on top via unanimous decision.
One person who watched the match was Dariush, who s currently ranked No. 4 at lightweight. And although he gave props to the two champions while speaking with MMA Junkie, he also reiterated his conviction.
“I thought they were both great,” Dariush said. “An unstoppable force meets an unmovable object, it felt like that. These are very good fighters. Some might say No. 1 and No. 2. The only reason I don’t say that because I believe I’m the best in the world. So they’re some of the best fighters coming at each other.”
Dariush Said the UFC 284 Main Event Uncovered Holes in Makhachev Game
Even though he didn’t leave the Octagon as the organization’s fifth-ever double champ, Volkanovski walked away with a moral victory. He moved up a division and gave the much bigger Makhachev all he could handle. And according to Dariush — a man who wants to be next in line for a shot at Makhachev — Volkanovski showed holes in the Russian-born champion’s game that he can exploit.
“You start to see holes in their games that might not even be there,” Dariush said. “You’re only seeing these holes because these inhuman men are colliding, these great fighters colliding, so you start to see these things.
“I thought it was a great fight from both perspectives. Volkanovski just confirmed my beliefs because I didn’t really have any tape on him besides the Tsarukyan fight, but Volkanovski was able to confirm my beliefs on what I thought his game was lacking and what exactly I could take advantage of.”
Dariush also picked up some things about Volkanovski, who will likely return to the 145-pound division to unify the belt against Yair Rodriguez.
“What did surprise me, and what I saw, was that Volkanovski carried his chin a lot higher than what I expected,” Dariush continued. “He carried his chin high when he finished a lot of these combos. So I saw some new things in Volkanovski’s game that I didn’t see in other fights. So that’s what I saw.”
Reports Have Indicated UFC Is Trying to Put Together Dariush vs. Charles Oliveira
Although nothing has been officially confirmed, reports have been shared that the promotion is looking to book a top-tier lightweight bout between Dariush and former 155-pound king Charles Oliveira. That match could happen at UFC 288 on May 6.
Oliveira is coming off a submission loss to Makhachev, and as sits at No. 1, he’s likely hoping to put himself back into title contention by ending Dariush’s eight-fight win streak. And if Dariush earns a victory over the former champion, his claim to a title shot would be hard to deny.