Two fighters claim to be backups for title bout at UFC 280: ”Don’t understand what’s going on here”

Beneil Dariush will fight at UFC 280. Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie – USA TODAY Sports

On Monday, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski announced that will serve as the backup fighter for the UFC 280 lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.

However, top ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush, who will compete at UFC 280, claimed that he too was told to prepare to step in as a backup for the title.

”Honestly, I’m confused,” Dariush told Sirius XM. “I don’t know if he’s playing games or the UFC is playing games, because I was told I’m the fill in. That’s the whole point of having another lightweight fight on that card, just in case something goes wrong, so I don’t understand what’s going on here. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it, but ultimately I have one goal and that’s Gamrot. But I really thought I was the fill in, that’s what I was told.”

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”I’ll be at UFC 280 to make weight”

Alexander Volkanovski recently revealed that he is clear to fight at UFC 280.

“We’re locked in as a backup fighter,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve been calling it, I said I wanted it, just had to make sure the hand was all good, so we’re all good. We’re locked in, and we got the clearance to fight.”

”The UFC is on board, everyone is on board, so I’ll be at UFC 280 to make weight, and yeah, looking forward to it. We’ll see what happens. If someone doesn’t make it, I’m there to save the day. If not, at least I’m locked in as the next guy to fight for that lightweight title, and that’s that.”

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