Beneil Dariush doesn't think his UFC 289 opponent Charles Oliveira is better than him in jiu-jitsu.
Dariush finds himself looking at a nine-fight winning streak if he can defeat "do Bronx." He could also be fighting for a UFC Lightweight Championship opportunity. Dariush has even said he's been promised a title shot if he beats Oliveira.
Ahead of the pivotal lightweight tilt, Dariush was a guest on the "Believe You Me" podcast. During his appearance, Dariush discussed how things would play out against Oliveira on the ground.
Here's what Dariush had to say on how his jiu-jitsu stacks up with Oliveira's:
"When I look at his jiu-jitsu, I think he's more aggressive than me in terms of chasing submissions, but I don't think he has better jiu-jitsu than me," Dariush said. "I think in a jiu-jitsu match I beat him every single time."
It's quite clear that Dariush feels he's better than Oliveira in the wrestling and striking departments.
"I think in terms of wrestling I outwrestle him, and in terms of striking, again, he's more aggressive and less defense," Dariush said. "Sometimes I make that mistake too, but I think on a good day, defensively, I'm better than him, and so that's gonna allow me to overcome and beat him even in the striking. So, there's no situation I can't beat this guy. So, my goal for this fight is domination."
Dariush will get to back his words up when he meets "do Bronx" inside Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. UFC 289 will air live on ESPN+ PPV in the United States.
If you use any quotes from this article, please leave a H/T to MMA Knockout for the transcription.
More must-reads: