Top Russian UFC fighter of Armenian descent Arman Tsarukyan, who competes in the light-heavyweight division, in an exclusive interview with MMA.metaratings.ru shared his predictions for the upcoming fight between Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush, which will take place on the night of February 27 in Las Vegas.
"I think Islam is mature enough for the championship. He can beat all the tops. It's going to be a very good fight with Dariush. Islam will be exhausting him so that Beneil will run out of energy because he has trouble breathing. To make a long story short, Islam will try to crush him: so that his hands will get stiff and Dariush will become weak in his striking technique. In such a way, there won't be a knockout punch. I think that Makhachev will win by the judges' decision," Arman said.
Makhachev's last fight in the octagon against New Zealand's Dan Hooker took place last October at UFC 267. That fight ended in favor of the Russian athlete with a submission in the first round. Islam Makhachev has 21 wins and one loss.
Dariush had his last fight against his compatriot, Tony Ferguson, in May 2021, at the UFC 262 tournament. In this fight, Beneil won by unanimous decision. He has 21 wins, four losses, and one draw.