Getty Beneil Dariush prepares to fight.
UFC star Beneil Dariush is convinced that he will not get the next title shot despite a strong showing last weekend.
This past Saturday, Dariush took on the top ten ranked lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot on the main card of UFC 280. He put in an impressive performance to largely outfox ‘Gamer’ and even scored a knockdown in a contest that went the distance. All three judges gave Dariush the nod unanimously on their scorecards.
Dariush extended his run to an eight-fight win streak, including wins over Tony Ferguson and Drew Dober. He also got bumped up by two places to the fourth spot on the rankings after the win.
Islam Makhachev headlined the card with top contender Charles Oliveira and became the new 155-pound king. Following the defeat, Oliveira was expected to line up with Dariush for UFC’s return to Brazil for UFC 283 in Jan.
While many see Dariush as the next rightful challenger for the promotional gold, it seems unlikely to happen soon.
Company president Dana White hinted at the possibility of UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski getting a shot at the lightweight belt in a clash of the champions.
Dariush Feels Like He Deserves a Title Shot but Won’t Get It
Following his win over Gamrot, Dariush shared his thoughts on a potential title shot. Although Dariush believes he deserves the opportunity, he remains convinced it would not happen.
“One hundred percent I think that,” Dariush said (transcribed by Mirror). “They obviously didn’t want to match me up with a top five, and I didn’t think a top five was interested either because no one said my name. He (Gamrot) had an amazing fight with Arman. He got his name out there so I think they were definitely trying to bring him into the top five and get me out of the top five. I think that was definitely the goal there.”
The 33-year-old California native claimed that UFC does not want him as the champion.
“I think they want to keep me as far away from the title shot as possible. I don’t know, I don’t bring the crowd that they want I guess, or I don’t bring enough eyes, or whatever it is, or I’m not active enough in terms of engagement. I’m not sure what they’re looking for, but I guess I’m not their guy, which is fine. I totally understand. I have a different vision than what they do.”
Dariush Says Volkanovski Is ‘Too Small’ for the Division
Volkanovski has proven to be a dominant champion at 145 pounds, clearing out the division and lapping past top-ranked contenders such as Max Holloway. He had been rallying to get a chance at joining the ultra-exclusive ‘champ-champ’ club, inaugurated by former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor.
According to Dariush, Volkanovski may not see his performances translate well in the heavier weight class.
“I mean, obviously, I don’t want to discredit him [Volkanovski] but he might be too small for 155lb,” he said. “I’m sure people said that to him at 145lbs too. We have a big weight advantage on him too. Nobody really tries to grapple with him at ’45. I haven’t seen anyone really try to take him down. I think it’s so different and I think he would have some problems with that.”