One of the best lightweights in the UFC who is still flying under the radar is Beneil Dariush (20-4-1). Dariush has been with the promotion for over seven years and he’s currently on the best stretch of his career.
He fought just a couple of weeks ago at UFC Vegas 18. That night, Dariush won a decision over Diego Ferreira. This was actually the second time that the two men had fought and Dariush won both matchups.
After the win, Dariush has now won six fights in a row in the lightweight division. The win also vaulted Dariush into the UFC‘s top ten at number nine. After the fight was over, Dariush expressed a little frustration with his lack of top opponents.
With his current winning streak, Dariush wants to fight someone that will put him into title contention. Well, now that he’s in the top ten with that winning streak, I believe the UFC is going to give him someone significant next.
Dariush’s UFC title aspirations
Dariush had an interview with ESPN this week where he talked about his plans for the lightweight division. He made it no secret that he plans on winning the UFC lightweight title and defending it a few times.
“I just need to get that belt. I’m going to defend it and I’m going to clear this division out quickly. We won’t have this mess anymore,” Dariush said of the lightweight division. Of course, the mess he’s referring to is the lack of clarity at 155 pounds.
The UFC’s lightweight division is in limbo at the moment. Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) is still the champion, but he’s said he’s retired. However, Dana White will not strip him out of the hope that he will eventually return.
Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor appear to be heading towards their trilogy matchup. All other top contenders are lining up, however, there’s no clarity on who will be fighting for the UFC lightweight title at any point this year.
Dariush is hoping that his run to the top clears up the mess. He wants to get the title and takedown all challengers so we don’t end up in this position again. Lofty goals, but Dariush is on a roll and he does have a style that can create problems.