UFC 280 is shaping up to be a sensational card. In the past week, we’ve learned that there will be two title fights in Abu Dhabi and several other high level matchups. Last night, we learned of another one of those high level matchups in the lightweight division.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report that top ten lightweight contenders Beneil Dariush (21-4-1) and Mateusz Gamrot (21-1) will go head-to-head in Abu Dhabi. It will be Dariush’s first fight since injuring his ankle and it will be the biggest test of Gamrot’s career.
Last month, Gamrot headlined a UFC Fight Night against Armen Tsarukyan. It was a very solid fight, but it was a fight that Gamrot had to bounce back in. On the scorecards, Gamrot lost the first two rounds. However, he battled back and won the final three rounds to win a decision.
It was the fourth straight win for Gamrot after he lost his UFC debut. Now, he’s getting a chance on one of the biggest cards of the year to take on a contender in the top five. If he can pick up the win in October, he will go right into the title picture.
UFC return for Benny
Back in February, Beneil Dariush had a golden opportunity to earn himself a title shot. He had a headliner booked against Islam Makhachev and Dana White openly said that the winner would fight for the UFC title. Shortly before the fight, Dariush seriously injured his ankle.
The injury was devastating for Dariush who was going to be searching for his eighth straight win. Now, he’s set to return at UFC 280 but he will not be in as high leverage of a situation. Nevertheless, this is a big opportunity for Dariush to get back in the swing of things with a huge win.
He’s still ranked inside the top five and he’s still in a great spot. It’s also really beneficial for Dariush that he’s fighting on the same card as the lightweight title fight. With a big win against Gamrot, he might find himself fighting for the UFC title in early 2023.