Beneil Dariush Thinks Michael Chandler Is The Easiest Matchup For Conor McGregor In The Division

Beneil Dariush thinks that Michael Chandler is the easiest matchup for Conor McGregor in his UFC return fight.

Dariush
Credit McGregor, Chandler, and Dariush on Instagram

Beneil Dariush is preparing to be leapfrogged by Conor McGregor in the lightweight division. 

The lightweight division is rolling on following the first title defense of champion Islam Makhachev. The top five at 155 pounds are starting to shake out after a slight pause that allowed featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to jump the line and step in to face Makhachev. With Makhachev’s victory, a spot is open for the next contender. Many think it could be the winner of Beneil Dariush vs. Charles Oliveira, but there is another scenario that the UFC could go for. 

Conor McGregor is set to make his return to the UFC later this year. He will be coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler. Although when the two fight they will be weighing in at 170 pounds, many believe that McGregor could be awarded a lightweight title shot with a victory, Dariush included. 

Beneil Dariush thinks Conor McGregor would be the number one contender with a win over Chandler

Beneil Dariush currently holds the longest win streak in the lightweight top five aside from the champ. Many fans have been calling for Dariush to get a title shot, but with the way things shook out with Volkanovski, he has been on the back burner. Now he is set to face former champion Charles Oliveira and was hoping to finally be the number one contender with a win, but he isn’t so sure. He spoke about how McGregor fits into the whole situation on the Submission Radio podcast. 

“If McGregor fights in June and wins, bro he’s number one easily like even if I beat Charles and it’s crazy to think about,” he said.

The timeline for McGregor might not be that quick. During his absence from the UFC, he pulled himself from the USADA testing pool and must complete six months of tests before being eligible to compete. As of Feb. 10, he had not been tested. This puts his return in August at the earliest. Still, Dariush thinks he may be passed over if McGregor wins and he thinks he will.

“Chandler is the easiest fight for him to win,” he said. “I’m not saying he can’t win against the other guys but out of everybody, Chandler’s the easiest fight just because Chandler doesn’t use his skill set properly. He doesn’t know how to like, energy management, zero with Chandler. Striking defense, sometimes, the wrestling, sometimes and all these things matter, you have to know when to turn on what in order to be a champion, in order to win, in order to be great.”

Dariush will be taking on Oliveria in May at UFC 288. If he wins, this could potentially put him in line for a title shot in July. International Fight Week is held every year in July and this bout would be a perfect addition to that PPV card. 

Published on February 16, 2023 at 9:51 am
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