Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Beneil Dariush Pitches A UFC Lightweight Super Fight Idea That Includes Ilia Topuria!

A UFC lightweight suggests an exciting matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria as a potential next fight!

Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Just recently, Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of his UFC 311 fight against Islam Makhachev. This left fans disappointed after weeks of waiting for this highly anticipated rematch. Renato Moicano stepped up to save the day, proving once again that Brazilian fighters really love to scrap. Poor Beneil Dariush though was left without an opponent for the fight.

Now, the MMA community is buzzing with a fresh idea. And none other than Beneil Dariush is the one supplying it. He is proposing to match up Arman Tsarukyan against the featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. This potential fight makes a lot of sense, especially given how both fighters have shown incredible skills on the ground and standing up.

Also Read: Arman Tsarukyan Next Fight: The Armenian Names The Next Fighter He Would Like To Face After UFC 311 Withdrawal

Beneil Dariush’s Comments On Arman Tsarukyan’s Future

Tallking to The Schmo, Dariush revealed what he thought was the best course of action for Arman Tsarukyan after UFC 311 withdrawal. He believes that if Ilia Topuria wants to jump weight classes (which he has shown interest in several times), he should get a crack at Tsarukyan first rather than the champion.

“Maybe it’s Topuria [against Arman Tsarukyan]. If Ilia is coming up, that might be the fight they put together.”

Looking at their styles, this matchup could be fireworks. Arman Tsarukyan brings that relentless wrestling pressure fans have seen cause problems for many top fighters. His determination was shining bright in the fight against Charles Oliveira, where he was in a submission hold for quite some time but refused to give up, and eventually managed to win.

On the flip side, Ilia Topuria has shown he is not just a pretty face with slick boxing. His ground game is seriously legit too (not that he has needed that much in recent fights). He dominated two legends of the flyweight in a single year, knocking out both Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway to cement his name as the legit featherweight champion.

What Is Up With The Lightweight Division?

The lightweight landscape right now is pretty wild. Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev are more than likely set to run it back, Justin Gaethje is somehow still in the mix for a title contention (if he goes past Dan Hooker), and now fans have got this potential banger between Tsarukyan and Topuria being talked about. The UFC matchmakers must be having a field day trying to sort this all out.

Is Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2 the next fight to make for the lightweight title? 🏆🤔#UFC311 pic.twitter.com/Ny4EA7SSNv
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) January 19, 2025

This fight could also answer some big questions about both fighters. Can Topuria’s power translate to lightweight? Will Arman Tsarukyan’s wrestling be enough to control someone with a comparable grappling game? These are the kind of questions that make fight fans geek out. Plus, both guys are young, hungry, and haven’t hit their prime yet, which is kind of scary considering how good they already are!

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Arman Tsarukyan

Beneil Dariush

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

Renato Moicano

UFC 311

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!