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Reports: He will be back-up for lightweight title fight at UFC 280

Published

September 16, 2022

UFC MMA Frontkick Online Beneil Dariush Carlos Diego Ferreira

No. 6 ranked UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush will fight in Abu Dhabi on October 22. Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie – USA TODAY Sports

On October 22, No. 6 ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush will face No. 9 ranked Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280. However, in an recent interview with MMA Fighting, Dariush claimed that his manager Ali Abdelaziz arranged that he will step in and compete for the title, if something happens to Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev.

“That’s what Ali told me, I was the backup for this,” Dariush said. “If something goes wrong, they would put me in.”

Therefore, the American has to weigh in at championship weight at 155 pounds.

“Yeah, of course,” Dariush said in the interview. “It’s not that hard. I make 156. Last time in Texas, I was pretty much 155 when I fought.”

Beneil Dariush is prepared for five rounds

His fight against Gamrot is scheduled for three rounds, however, now he has to be prepared to go five rounds in a potential title bout.

“I prepare for a guy like Mateusz Gamrot and three rounds, five rounds, it’s really just pacing yourself. For three rounds, I just get to go nuts for three rounds. I can go as hard as I want. For five rounds, I’ll pace a little bit more,” Dariush said.