There is a reason why Islam Makhachev is the pound-for-pound king, despite UFC CEO Dana White vehemently endorsing Jon Jones. The Dagestani’s lightweight wrestling and grappling skills are a notch above his competitors, leading to the assumption that Michael Chandler has the best style to counter the Russian champion. However, Beneil Dariush doesn’t think that’s the case.
Speaking to Submission Radio on YouTube, Dariush dismissed Chandler’s chances against the pound-for-pound king. “Chandler, with his style and his build, just doesn’t seem to be a five-round fighter anymore. I know he’s done five-round fights before. But if you watch him right now, he’s tired in the second,” Dariush said.
The 35-year-old felt a potential matchup between Chandler and Makhachev would never surpass round 3. What Dariush said about Iron makes sense, evidenced by his third-round performances against Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier. On the other hand, Makhachev saw the fifth round twice in the past three fights; against Poirier and Alexander Volkanovski.
At one point, Dariush was the division’s dark horse, capable of dethroning Makhachev. However, first-round losses in the past two fights halted the hype train. Nonetheless, he believes he has one more run left in him. Therefore, he will be keeping a close eye on the upcoming matchup between Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot.
Beneil Dariush Advises Dan Hooker Ahead of UFC 305
The lightweight division landscape changes quickly, and Beneil Dariush knows he is in a precarious position. His two-fight losing streak doesn’t help his cause either. Having already given up on the idea of fighting Dustin Poirier, the 2024 Forrest Griffin Community Award winner is keeping a close eye on Hooker vs. Gamrot at UFC 305.
Since he already fought and defeated Gamrot, Dariush wants Hooker to win the fight so he can fight him later this year. Therefore, he had some advice for Hagman as he would take on the Gamer in a few months. “For Dan to win, I think he needs to obviously work a lot on his takedown defense,” Dariush said.
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“But also his ability to get up, and then he needs to utilize his knees, uppercuts, and constantly threaten danger when someone’s trying to take him down,” Dariush added as he had dropped Gamrot with a countershot when the pair matched up at UFC 280.
Will Dariush’s advice be enough for Hooker to spring an upset at UFC 305? Wrestling is Hooker’s Achilles heel, and some even say Gamrot’s wrestling is on par with Makhachev, and Hooker’s loss to Makhachev was not even competitive.
Also Read Dan Hooker Rejected Apex Main Event Against Beneil Dariush for UFC 305 Spot
