Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev set for February main event
A UFC lightweight title eliminator is all set for the new year.
As first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the current #3 and #4 ranked lightweight contenders Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev, respectively, have agreed to a five-round main event bout on February 26th.
Dariush (21-4-1) will enter the main event bout riding a seven-fight win streak, four of which coming via stoppage. Dariush would most recently earn a unanimous decision vcitory over former interim champion Tony Ferguson in May of this year. The 32-year-old also holds wins over the likes of Carlos Diego Ferreira (x2), Thiago Moises and Drew Dober.
Makhachev (21-1) meanwhile has won nine in a row while scoring three submission finishes in 2021. Submitting Dober and Moises earlier in the year, Makhachev would most recently snatch up a first-round kimura on Dan Hooker at UFC 267. A longtime teammate of the now-retired former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has long been tipped to be a future champion due to his similarity in fighting style as ‘The Eagle’.