Beneil Dariush is full of confidence again and expects to continue his winning streak when he battles Drakkar Klose on the main card of UFC 248.
For Dariush, he says this is the biggest card he has been on. And, to be the fight right before the two title fights should give him a boost in viewership. Although the added fans will be nice, he is just looking to get his hand raised.
He is also back to being confident after going two years without a win. Now, he’s now on a three-fight winning streak with two stoppage wins.
“I feel very confident but that was so long,” Dariush said to BJPENN.com of if his confidence is back to where it was when he was ranked. “Right now, my confidence is pretty high.”
Entering this fight, Dariush is coming off a very impressive submission win over Frank Camacho, Drew Dober and a decision win over Thiago Moises. So, the 30-year-old, who has won bonuses in back-to-back fights figured he would be getting a ranked opponent next. Yet, that is not the case.
“This is who the UFC offered. Ideally, for me, I would be fighting a ranked opponent,” he said. “To be honest, I’ve fought up and comers, veterans, and prospects so I think it makes sense to fight contenders next.
“I don’t know what it will take for me to get some contenders. But, I don’t mind continuing to do what I have been doing. I remember when I got to the UFC, Rafael dos Anjos was my training partner and he was getting close to a title shot and he had 15 or 16 fights,” he continued. “I remember thinking it would not take me that long and now I’ve been humbled. Now, I don’t care how long it takes, all I know is I will get there and become the champion.
For Beneil Dariush the goal is to get his hand raised, extend the winning streak and fight a ranked guy next. But, that is easier said than done as Klose is riding a three-fight winning streak and is 11-1-1 in his career.
There is no question Klose is a tough opponent. But for Dariush, he believes he has a better skill set and will get his hand raised. How he will do it, however, he’s uncertain.
“For me, looking at it, I think it could be a fight I could go in and get a quick finish. But, I think it will be a three-round war given the way he fights. He’s aggressive and athletic, but he’s a smart fighter as he goes to the decision,” Dariush said. “To go all three rounds and not make a mistake and get caught takes intelligence. He’s much smarter than people give him credit for.”
In the end, for Beneil Dariush this fight at UFC 248 will be the beginning of a three-fight 2020 that sees him have a number beside his name at the end of it. But, don’t be surprised if you see the Iranian move up to welterweight sometime soon anyways.
“Ideally, three to four fights would be perfect. The problem is, as I get older, I’m getting fatter and cutting weight is harder. It would be nice to fight at welterweight because the weight cut would be so easy,” Beneil Darish concluded. “But, I wouldn’t be a big welterweight, I don’t even think I’m a big lightweight. If I can’t make weight I will move up, but I can make it right now.”
Do you think Beneil Dariush will beat Drakkar Klose at UFC 248?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/2/2020.