March 11, 2025 8:50 am ET
Beneil Dariush approves of Ilia Topuria getting an instantaneous title shot at light-weight.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) vacated his UFC featherweight belt after admitting that the load reduce was too strenuous on him. “El Matador” is eyeing a title struggle in opposition to light-weight champion Islam Makhachev.
Regardless of solely defending his title as soon as with a knockout of Max Holloway at UFC 308, Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6 UFC) doesn’t see anybody else within the light-weight title image as extra worthy for the time being.
“You may’t actually disagree with it,” Dariush advised MMA Junkie. “As a result of he grew to become champion, he defended his belt, and he’s similar to, ‘Hey, I’m too massive. I don’t need to make this weight reduce anymore, so I need to struggle ’55.’ I wouldn’t be in opposition to him preventing for 155, particularly for the reason that UFC mentioned they’re not going to permit Arman (Tsarukyan) to have his struggle for the title.
“So, if Arman’s not getting the title shot, Charles Oliveira – I perceive he’s speculated to be the No. 1 contender, however I’d say Ilia’s credentials are higher at this second. He’s driving fairly the win streak so, I positively wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh, this can be a mistake. They shouldn’t have this struggle.’”
Dariush can see the place Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) is coming from when he says he doesn’t want to fight another featherweight in Topuria, however says this time it’s a bit of totally different.
“I believe the scenario is that this, I don’t suppose Makhachev actually needs to struggle one other ’45’er,” Dariush continued. “He fought (Alexander) Volkanovski as a result of he needed to be pound-for-pound champion as a result of at the moment, Volkanovski was. He beat Volkanovski so he’s type of over that I’d say.
“He doesn’t actually need to struggle one other 145’er. However, the distinction now’s Ilia is transferring up and he’s an precise ’55’er. He’s not going again all the way down to 145. All it requires is for Makhachev to agree. If Makhachev agrees to struggle him, I believe the struggle occurs
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