Beneil Dariush has his sights set on fighting Charles Oliveira in the upcoming UFC 289, but he’s keeping tabs on the lightweight division and the notable matchups that will take place before the end of 2023. One of the highly anticipated fights is the rematch between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, which will headline the UFC 291 in July. Dariush has a vested interest in the fight since the winner could be his future title contender if he wins against Oliveira.

Dariush believes that Poirier is the more practical pick to win, given that he defeated Gaethje in their last fight, but he also thinks the circumstances are different now. He believes that Gaethje is more focused and hungrier than Poirier, who seems comfortable after his back-to-back fights against Conor McGregor, which earned him his biggest paydays. However, Dariush is not discounting Poirier’s ability to prove him wrong.

Aside from Poirier vs. Gaethje 2, another highly anticipated lightweight fight is McGregor vs. Chandler, although it is not official yet. Dariush thinks that stylistically, Chandler is the best opponent for McGregor since he is not too tall, but he slows down quickly after the first round.

Dariush expects McGregor to have the advantage over Chandler since he has better counters and reach. Dariush believes that McGregor will find a way to spin the result into gold while building towards another big fight since he is excellent at it.

In conclusion, Dariush is keeping a watchful eye on the lightweight division and the notable matchups that will take place before the end of 2023 to prepare for his future title contender. He believes that Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 and McGregor vs. Chandler are the ones to watch out for, although other fighters may also emerge as a threat in the future.