'There’s no doubt in my mind!' 35-year-old Beneil Dariush confident of beating Islam Makhachev despite recent slump

Due to setbacks, Dariush, 22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC, had to succumb and take up light training to ease back in. It has never dulled his mettle or resolve. After his UFC on ESPN 52 main-event loss, he divulged he was ready to bounce back and face striking lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis. The conclusion of that fiery clash catapulted Dustin Poirier to a title shot with Islam Makhachev at UFC 302.

So, at each step, Dariush can enter the title picture with two wins over other ranked lightweights. Rumors suggest BSD, Dan Hooker , and Renato Moicano as possible opponents. Rebounding in the next fight remains important for Dariush in the hopes of becoming a champion. As such, Dariush has started preparing for a game-changing comeback.

After recent fizzles and missed title backup, Beneil Dariush is ready for a summer return

At every step of the way, lightweight standout Beneil Dariush has the skill set to beat anyone in the lightweight division. The question surrounding Dariush revolves around the chin. Can he take a power punch after suffering back-to-back knockouts? Since losing to Tsarukyan, Dariush has taken rest to heal up.

It is a tall ask for any fighter to get back to prime form after suffering two knockout losses in a row. However, Dariush has identified the need to rest his body for the time being. At one point, Dariush was labeled a title challenger in the lightweight division. As such, Dariush has plans to reach that position in his career.

The whole goal was to be patient and to rest my body and most importantly my brain.... then, I would slowly start to put on the small gloves and do small-glove sparring, really focused on grappling still. That started in May...I think I’ll be back soon. If it was up to me, it would have been yesterday...hopefully either end of summer or early winter or something. Beneil Dariush via MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” Episode #3460

During the sitdown at Episode #3460 of MMA Junkie Radio, the co-hosts even turned their attention to the chilling promo and return of Conor McGregor at UFC 303. Notably, even in the face of loss, Dariush had eagerly welcomed McGregor into the fold before anything was finalized. Moreover, there are other options as well for Dariush.

So, while he is tempering his pace and taking it slow, he is not giving up on dreaming big. He might be on a twin-skid streak, but Beneil Dariush is nothing if not tenacious. The 155-gold strap is the limit, and Dariush means achieving it one way or another.