Beneil Dariush admits ‘it sucks’ being leapfrogged by Alexander Volkanovski for lightweight title shot and claims he is ‘one of the most avoided fighters’, ahead of clash with Matheusz Gamrot at UFC 280
- Alexander Volkanovski appears to have leapfrogged others for title chances
- He was drafted in to be reserve for the huge UFC 280 main event on Saturday
- Beneil Dariush has been waiting in the wings and feels he deserves a chance
- He takes on Mateusz Gamrot but lamented falling behind Volkanovski
Beneil Dariush is on a seven-fight winning streak but still remains at arms length of a lightweight title shot.
He takes on Mateusz Gamrot this weekend at UFC 280 but feels frustrated that the likes of Alexander Volkanovski have jumped ahead of him in the queue.
The Australian was drafted in as an emergency reserve in case Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira missed weight, but both men tipped the scales at 154.5lbs.
Beneil Dariush (left) admitted it ‘sucks’ to lost his place as lightweight title fight back-up
As the pound-for-pound No 1 and featherweight champion, his shot at the winner ‘makes sense’, according to Dana White.
But that is not good news for Dariush, who was hoping to be next in line, particularly with a big win over Gamrot.
He said: ‘It still sucks. Being backup, losing that positions sucks. Losing the title shot sucks.
‘It’s all as cr***y as it gets but I understand why they’re doing what they’re doing.’
The No 6-ranked fighter in the division feels he is being avoided by his peers
He went on: ‘My focus is not the same focus as the UFC. It’s not the same as [Dana White]. I understand Dana’s is basically profits and that’s what he’s supposed to do for his business.
‘I have a different focus. My focus is I’ve been given a God given talent and I’m not wasting it. I’m not squandering it.
‘I want to fight the best people in the world and I want to do it as often as I can. So if I can’t get the champion, I want another dog after this fight. I want to fight the best guys and it’s that simple.’
And Dariush believes he is one of the ‘most avoided’ fighters in the division given the lack of interest from others in fighting him.
Dariush made weight ahead of his fight against Matheusz Gamrot on Saturday
‘That’s more the frustrating part,’ he added. ‘The fact that my peers don’t mention my name. That’s been frustrating. If it’s all about business, OK then so be it, go be businessmen. I’ll just be sitting here and looking for my next meal.
‘When was the last time you heard somebody say my name?
‘I don’t remember anybody in the top five ever saying my name. Maybe. I might be one of the most avoided but it’s not something I think about.’
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