Beneil Dariush set for Charles Oliveira test knowing Abu Dhabi title shot is at stake

A few days from most probably the greatest test thus far of his professional career, conceivably one bout from a shot at long last at UFC gold, and Beneil Dariush seems rather relaxed with it all.

“Yeah, I know it may not look like it, but I'm pretty excited,” he tells The National from his hotel room in Vancouver. “Fighting is like, I always consider those 15 minutes in there freedom. So I get to be free for 15 minutes.”

That freedom could lock down his chance of competing next for the UFC lightweight title. The division’s No 4-ranked contender, Dariush takes on Charles Oliveira, the former champion and current No 1 challenger at 155lbs, in the co-main event at UFC 289 on Sunday morning UAE.

Whoever wins at Rogers Arena in western Canada looks set to head east later this year. Although nothing has been confirmed, Islam Makhachev, the lightweight belt-holder, most probably lays in wait at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on October 21.

Darish, 22-4-1 in professional MMA, is adamant that’s the reward – should he, of course, see off Oliveira this weekend. “I think it's a title shot,” he says. “I mean there's no way of getting around that.”

Not that it provides any extra incentive come fight night. The desire, he confides, is always there.

“Nah, the belt was never a motivation,” Dariush says. “I'm a God-fearing man. I know where my talents come from. That's my real motivation, right there, is knowing who gave me my talents and not to squander them.

“So the belt, no belt, I will always do my best in there.”

Dariush has been showing his best for some time now. Aged 34, the Iranian-born American rides an eight-fight win streak, in his past two bouts taking out Tony Ferguson and Mateusz Gamrot.

The latter took place in Abu Dhabi last October, when Dariush dominated his dangerous rival at UFC 280 at Etihad Arena to earn a unanimous-decision win.

He has spent the time since striving still for improvement.

“It gives me confidence, for sure winning the last fight, but I'm a very insecure person, so it's never enough,” Dariush says. “So I'm always back into the gym, working very hard.

“And I'm a man of faith, so I stay close to God. That's where my true confidence comes from.”

The self-belief, even if somewhat quiet, will no doubt be required against Oliveira. The Brazilian, 33-9, may have lost last time out – also in Abu Dhabi at UFC 280 – but he had won his previous 11. The most recently vanquished on that run were high-calibre opponents in Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

Oliveira insists experiencing the heartbreak of losing his crown last October has made him more determined than ever. Which, surely, means he's more of a threat.

“I think he's definitely more dangerous because he wants to be back where he was,” Dariush says. “He's been to the mountain top and he knows how to get there, so I think he's going to be quite dangerous, wanting to get back to that mountain top.”

But Dariush saw enough in Oliveira’s defeat to Makhachev in the capital – the second-round submission – that provides him a path the victory.

“I would say when the pressure is on, he starts to make more mistakes,” Dariush says. “When he's comfortable, he's the best, but once the pressure is on, he makes more mistakes.”

The UFC record-holder for submission wins, Oliveira’s reign as champion was characterised by wildly fluctuating encounters. He was knocked down against Chandler, Poirier and Gaethje, but displayed formidable fortitude to rebound. Often, in spectacular style.

At some point on Sunday, Dariush will presumably have to embrace the bedlam, too.

“Yeah, obviously I want to be disciplined, but I enjoy the chaos,” he says. “So I don't know, I don't really have an answer for you on that one because I want to say I'm going to be disciplined and I'm going to do all the right things. But maybe I won't.

“Maybe I'll just jump in and be like, ‘All right, let's see what this rodeo's all about’. I think whether I stay disciplined or barnburner, I have the advantages. But the difference is in staying disciplined my chances of winning are much higher or clear, while if I get wild, it'll be a close one.”

It's a tacit acknowledgement of a respect for Oliveira. “Stylistically, he's a big threat,” Dariush says. “He's a great finisher. That's where the danger lies, is his ability to just find finishes anywhere.

“Grappling-wise, he doesn't have the advantage. So then that leaves striking, and I don't think he has an advantage there. In terms of power, I match and, if not, I overcome him.

“And so it becomes a game of endurance and dogfighting. And I think that's something I'm quite good at.”

Sitting there, exuding a calm, dogfighting doesn’t exactly spring to mind. But, apparently, it's ingrained.

“I don't know if I would say I make the switch,” Dariush says. “I think fighting has been the easiest thing in my life for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, we had an argument, let's just fight it out: winner's right kind of deal.

“I got in trouble a lot for fighting in school. I pretty much spent my whole life getting in trouble for fighting. And one day, I discovered martial arts and then I found fighting and then I finally had the freedom to do this without getting in trouble for it.

“So fighting has always been the first answer. Everything else is hard: being a husband, being a father [he has two young children], being a coach, just being patient. That's what I found out to be the most difficult.”

Having built a remarkable recent record, Dariush has had to exercise patience for his title shot. Maybe, though, he won’t have to wait much longer.

He has competed twice in Abu Dhabi already, “redeeming” his loss to Ramsey Nijem in 2014 with that clinic against Gamrot eight months ago.

Clinching the belt in the emirate, four months from now, would mean third time really is a charm.

“It'll be pretty cool, because that's the pinnacle of this sport, right? Get to the belt,” Dariush says. “I don't know how I would feel. It's something you spend your whole life chasing and then some people get it, and it gives you all the feels.

“And some people get it and they're like, ‘OK, what's next?’ So I'm looking forward to that moment.”