What is needed to remove unbeaten champion Ilia Topuria?
Topuria has apparently not seen the will of featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, BMF champion Max Holloway and the former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
Topuria became one of the 10 UFC hunters who won a second title on Saturday and picked up the empty lightweight belt with a fast first round finish from Oliveira in the UFC 317 Main Event.
The new lightweight champion was not too few potential challengers afterwards, with Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett present for his fight, all a piece of Topuria.
Although the next opponent of Topuria is probably one of those three, there is another candidate who can pose a threat to Topuria 'stylistic'.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Beneil Dariush says that Mateusz Gamrot can be a problem for Ilia Topuria
If you look further through the lightweight ladder, just above Pimblett, you will see the #7-ranged Mateusz Gamrot.
The Gamrot from Poland is 8-3 in the UFC and is considered one of the best grapplers of the lightweight division.
Gamrot handed the #1 Competent Tsarukyan his last loss in 2022. Gamrot was about to have a title shot against Beneil Dariush later that year, but the eternal competition would eventually break his profit reak with four fights.
Gamrot may have a way to go for a title chance; His former enemy Dariush, however, loves his chances in a future fight against the harsh Topuria.
“A man like Gamrot can cause some problems for Ilia,” Dariush told the Schmo.
“Because he can't shoot once, not twice, [but lots of times].
“He can shoot, shoot, shoot until he finally brings you down. That can be something that is effective against Ilia.
“I think that might be a trick that works,” said Dariush.
In his fight on UFC 299 last year, Gamrot won 11 times former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos and achieved 7 minutes of control time over three rounds. Gamrot has also removed Tsarukyan 6 times, most Tsarukyan was once removed in the UFC.
Gamrot comes from a dominant decision victory on ľudovít Klein in May.
BenEuil Dariush claims that UFC never gave him a title shot because of his ranking
At 36, Dariush plans a final run to the title.
Dariush recovered from TKO losing to Charles Oliveira and Tsarukyan with a decision victory on the recent title -Updager Renato Moicano on UFC 317.
At one point the top 10 competition was at #3 in the world and had one of the longest profit stripes in the history of the division, with back-to-back victories on Gamrot and the legendary lightweight Tony Ferguson.
“When I was sitting on an eight-fighter win, they said, oh, you were not ranked high enough,” Dariush continued.
“So that's why I didn't get the title shot. I remember that I had a conversation with the UFC …
“I don't want that excuse to be around,” said Dariush.
Rank on #9 From this letter, Dariush says that he no longer wants to fight through the ladder, only on.
“I don't want to fight people behind me. I have always given guys opportunities for people behind me, such as Gamrot and Arman. Now I want to fight opportunities for me.”