Beneil Dariush believes that defeating UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev requires mastering the striking game and has shared his insights on how he would approach such a challenge.
Makhachev is set to defend his title in a highly anticipated rematch against Arman Tsarukyan later this month in the UFC 311 main event at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
Makhachev has been nearly unstoppable in his career, boasting a 14-fight winning streak since his sole loss — a knockout defeat to Adriano Martins in October 2015. His dominance in grappling and pressure-heavy style has made him one of the most formidable fighters in the division.
“You have to meet his feints,” Dariush explained to Inside Fighting. “He does a lot of feints and fakes. If you don’t meet those, he’s going to push you back and put pressure on you just with that. If you can meet his feints, you start to see his reactions and understand what he wants to do.”
Dariush emphasized the importance of being a well-rounded fighter but suggested that a specialization in striking, combined with solid grappling skills, could be the key to dethroning the champion.
“He specializes in grappling, so it’s going to cancel out [if you’re also a good grappler]. But if you specialize in striking and are good enough to grapple, I think you can put more pressure on him.”
The UFC veteran will also be in action at UFC 311, facing Renato Moicano in a lightweight bout on the same main card.
