Coming up on the blockbuster UFC 262 pay-per-view card, Beneil Dariush has forewarned fans that his game plan is as wild as his opponent Tony Ferguson.
The 31-year old from Iran is seeing great success inside the UFC after being a lightweight mainstay for years. Specifically, Beneil Dariush’s six-fight win streak has amounted to credible wins, some include Drew Dober, Drakkar Klose, and Scott Holtzman (by spinning back-fist KO), all of those Dariush managed to finish by either knockout or submission.
Then, after the blistering finishing streak, the Kings MMA product took on the top-ranked Diego Ferreira and edged out a split decision against him. Following the split-decision victory, he went on to accept a fight with Ferguson and has admitted his game plan is to “outcrazy” the wildman of MMA, Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson.
Beneil Dariush Ready For Crazy Ferguson Fight
Speaking with the South China Morning Post, Beneil Dariush admitted that he had a pretty wild game plan for Ferguson that included him trying to out-crazy him. Granted, Dariush’s striking has evolved by leaps and bounds lately, with a spinning back fist knockout against Holtzman, so that result certainly isn’t off the table at this point.
Overall, the lightweight intends to approach crazy with crazy because he believes Ferguson to be in a do-or-die scenario on fight night. If that is the case, fans can expect the top-rated lightweight to go back and forth with Ferguson.
“I’ve been joking about this,” Beneil Dariush told SCMP MMA. “But I’ll tell you the same thing I told everybody else. The goal is to out-crazy Tony, so let’s see how that goes.”
Overall, the lightweight contender is aware of the stakes, and intends to employ a crazy strategy to deal with the former interim lightweight champion. While frenetic and wild fights tend to favor Ferguson, perhaps as he gets older, those wars will be harder to take part in. Additionally, Beneil Dariush spoke to the unpredictability of the former interim champ and explains that to be one reason why he is still so dangerous.
“You never know what he’s going to do,” Dariush said. “If that’s not exciting to you, I don’t know what is. You prepare the best you can but you do not know what he’s gonna do. You just don’t.” “It makes actually training for him really difficult, too. Because, what I am going to drill? What am I going to focus on? I’m kinda enjoying this. It’s a freedom I haven’t felt in a while.”
It appears the ninth lightweight in the rankings has a big chance to take his career to the next level. Dariush is at peace with the fact that you can’t specifically train for Ferguson and that is why he has chosen such a wild game plan. In addition, the bout also gives fans the chance to see where Ferguson stands after dropping two losses in a row for the first time in his career.
With UFC 262: Chandler vs. Oliveira on the horizon, the lightweight title will be up for grabs the same night these two throw down. By the end of the night, the lightweight division could already be privy to a new top contender depending on how the fight between Beneil Dariush and Tony Ferguson plays out.
Do you believe Ferguson can turn back the clock and send Beneil Dariush back to the drawing board? Or is it Dariush’s time? Let us know below!
