Beneil Dariush Told Age Could Cost Him Against Arman Tsarukyan In UFC Fight Night Main Event: 'It Makes A Huge Difference'

During a recent episode of his Weighing In podcast alongside former Strikeforce champion Josh Thomson, ex-UFC referee John McCarthy reacted to the news of Dariush and Tsarukyan's upcoming headliner in "The Lone Star State."

Although the Iranian-born American turned back the charge of a younger contender who boasts a win over Tsarukyan in Mateusz Gamrot last year, McCarthy thinks the youthful mindset of "Akhalkalakets" could prove to be the difference on December 2.

"Tsarukyan will stand there and bang with just about everybody. He'll use his wrestling when he gets the opportunity," McCarthy said. "Look, Beneil, I love him, man. Like I said, (he's) awkward, creates different angles in ways that are not the norm, and so it takes you out of your normal game that you like to play. It makes you hesitate. I'm not sure that Arman is old enough to hesitate. (Age) makes a huge difference, let's be honest. Beneil's 34, I believe. Arman is now 26 or 27.

"That right there, he (Tsarukyan) has a confidence in his ability to do whatever he wants, when he wants, and it doesn't matter to him what his opponent does," McCarthy continued. "Beneil is right at that moment that it's starting to change, and he has to figure out, 'How do I train a little bit different? The injuries I've had...' Tsarukyan doesn't have to deal with any of that... It's a different mindset. That mindset, and being that Tsarukyan is younger, it can have a difference in this. Sometimes it can work to the advantage of the veteran fighter, which Beneil is. In this situation, I'm not too sure it's gonna be an advantage for Beneil."

Dariush will no doubt be looking to prove McCarthy and those who share that sentiment wrong by using his veteran know-how to stall Tsarukyan's championship ambitions in Austin.

Should he accomplish that feat in what will mark his very first main event on MMA's biggest stage, a much-pondered clash between Dariush and champion Islam Makhachev will be firmly back on the table.

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