Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC Austin, we are going to see a massive matchup in the lightweight division. Two top ten contenders will be trying to insert themselves into the title picture as Beneil Dariush (22-5-1) takes on Arman Tsarukyan (20-3).
Dariush is looking to bounce back after his tough loss back in June. Back in June, Dariush fought Charles Oliveira and had he won, he would’ve been the next in line to challenge Islam Makhachev. Unfortunately for Dariush, he was stopped in the first round which ended his impressive eight-fight winning streak.
He’s hoping to get back on track tomorrow night, but it’s not going to be easy as he takes on Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan made his UFC debut against current champion Islam Makhachev and while he lost, he put up a good fight. Following that loss, he won five in a row before dropping a decision to Mateusz Gamrot.
On the heels of the Gamrot loss, he’s won back-to-back fights over Joaquim Silva and Damir Ismagulov. If he’s able to defeat Dariush at UFC Austin, he jumps right into the title picture at 155 so this is a massive spot for him.
UFC Austin Prediction
This is such a fascinating matchup on so many levels. For one, both of these guys are tremendous grapplers in their own right. I would give the overall grappling and speed advantage to Tsarukyan. However, I’m wondering if he’ll be able to impose his will on a guy like Dariush.
When it comes to power, that lives with Beneil Dariush. We’ve also seen Tsarukyan wobbled a number of times inside the octagon. If Tsarukyan is careless on the feet, Dariush easily has the power to put him down to the canvas, just ask Mateusz Gamrot who found out about that power.
Most of the money seems to be on Tsarukyan, however, I actually like Dariush in the matchup. I know he’s the sizeable underdog, but I just really like him in this spot. I think his power is going to play a big factor at UFC Austin. I actually expect him to hurt Tsarukyan on the feet and while he might get taken down at some point, I expect him to be able to get back up. If Tsarukyan fades like he did against Gamrot, I think Dariush puts him away in the fourth round.
Prediction: Beneil Dariush by TKO – Round 4